


If we had souls

by enaelyork



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Awkward Romance, Awkward Sexual Situations, Boss/Employee Relationship, Conspiracy, Developing Relationship, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, Emotions, F/M, Falling In Love, First Order Politics (Star Wars), Flashbacks, Investigations, Love, Love/Hate, Mentioned Brendol Hux, Pre-Relationship, Private Investigators, Rival Relationship, Romantic Fluff, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Young Armitage Hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24495841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enaelyork/pseuds/enaelyork
Summary: General Hux is an influential figure in the First Order. Enael Spencer has known this for a long time. But when she takes an admiral position in the fleet dependent on the StarKiller project, she is far from imagining that she will plunge into much larger intrigues.Between rivalry, secrecy, war and conspiracy, the young admiral will have to find her place. Especially since she will discover that General Hux may have good reasons to be so ruthless ...
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux & Phasma, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s), Armitage Hux/Original Female Character(s), Armitage Hux/Phasma, Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Somewhere in the galaxy 4 AD. BY

There was no stranger night than that. The sky had taken its usual dark hues, and yet it was difficult to perceive anything else. A thick mist had indeed invaded the city and nothing but the muffled lights of the dwellings could not see him.  
Yet she was looking beyond all that. What was going on up there? Was it still war? Had the world changed again? From the height of these few years, she still did not understand everything that had been played at that time.  
So when she didn't understand, she imagined.  
She saw war as a ballet of ships, the same ships she tended to see here, a ballet of spinning lights. And if she was aware that war was killing, she hid this aspect.  
Would she know war one day?

-Enael, it's time.

She heard the muffled voice of a lady and jumped. She hadn't seen the time - because in truth, she still couldn't read it correctly - but she knew what it meant and immediately jumped out of the window sill to rush into her bed.  
When she opened the door, she gave him an accusing look.

"You weren't in bed, were you?" "

The child hid her embarrassment through her blanket.

"Godmother, I can't sleep, it's too early"

She smiles. This child had never been hers. He had been told when news of Yavin's defeat of the Empire spread through the system. When her parents knew that the Death Star had been destroyed, they knew that the end of the Empire was just a matter of time. And they also knew what would probably happen to the great imperials.  
And their child.  
She was then only an infant not even a year old. She was "only" her mother's best friend. She had promised her mother that she would protect her, she had agreed to take care of her and educate her as best she could.  
Today, looking at the little girl, she saw her friend there. Because it was undeniable that she had taken on the features of her mother. Her caramel, thick brown hair, going through light imperfect curls and her big blue eyes. No doubt that Eleonore lived through her daughter. It had also inherited its rebellious character.

"It is already far too late to sleep when you are a 4 year old girl". She threw her in a falsely accusing tone. She came to rest on the edge of the bed. "But ... Maybe a story will help you sleep?" "

The child's eyes lit up, she approached her to distinguish each syllable from the story.

"And what kind of story? She said in a honeyed tone.

The child wondered what story she was going to hear this time. Was she still going to talk about Lord Vader's military campaigns? This man terrified her. From the height of these 4 years, she had never seen him except in a hologram but nevertheless, it inspired her with a strange feeling. She feared him but couldn't help knowing more about him, the empire from which she came.

"What if I told you how it all started?" "

The child nodded quickly, of course she wanted to know. She wanted to know everything.  
The lady sitting next to her smiled at her while passing her hand through a rebellious wick that had come to land before the eyes of the little girl.

"Well, a very long time ago, In a galaxy far far away ..."


	2. Chap 2 : An unwanted recruit

First Order Command Base - Approx 28 Ap BY

"Spencer, it's time!" "  
She jumped.

" Shit "

She jumped from her desk on which she had finally dozed off very late at night. Too busy trying to figure out why the mechanism of the weapon was not working, she ended up being overcome by lazyness.  
When his colleague lieutenant spoke of his weapon yesterday at dinner, Enael took the opportunity and offered to help him. Not out of pure courtesy but simply because she knew she would have an occupation for the evening. And that would allow her not to think.

Not to think about tomorrow.

If it was true that she had known how to stand out in her interstellar cruiser through some strategic reflections and sabotage work, she could hardly believe what was happening to her. But she knew she was being rewarded for her sense of honor and her loyalty. She knew that all of this was deserved and that it was the fruit of enormous work on her.  
But the idea of becoming an admiral terrified her terribly.  
She knew that all eyes would be on her, because she knew how much her ancestor was a respected figure in the first order. Not to mention that no one saw her as her worthy successor. Quite the contrary.  
And then, who would accept her authority? She had never had a good reputation at the academy and her instructors would probably be the first to make fun of her failures.  
But it was no longer time to worry about all this, because if she continued, she might well pay for her lack of punctuality.  
Time to grab her uniform jacket and her headdress and there she was running at full speed the gangways that separated her from the officers' room. They were already all there, but taking advantage of her small size, she managed to slip into her row without being noticed.  
She looked around, observing the many soldiers present at the attention, then considered the officers. Her new status will certainly force her to rub shoulders with them more. If she already knew some of their reputation, others were completely unknown to her.  
She immediately recognized "the iron giant", as they all liked to call it. Captain Phasma had a build that suited her rank and the respect that everyone owed her. Beside her stood General Hux, his coldness and his face as closed as a prison door inspired fear in the whole of the first order. She watched him, he didn't seem any happier than usual.  
On the contrary.  
It was then that she heard his name and stepped forward to receive his rank insignia. At that moment, she no longer had the time to pay attention to all the looks that had landed on her. And on the stifling silence of the room.

"So, is she the grand daughter of the great Moff?" Said an officer contemptuously.  
"Look, has she at least bothered to polish her uniform?" Said Phasma to her neighbor.  
They consider her.

"To see her like that, I wonder what Admiral Hopkins could have found to recommend her so highly. She continued.

"It's an upstart and nothing more!" Cut Hux. "She only reaches her rank through her genes"

"So this is what the first order offers us as an officer ..." Phasma breathed.

"Say guys" they were interrupted by the voice of an officer speaking to his neighbors "Don't you think we should get her on the platform?" The general risks getting his back stuck.  
They giggled before Hux turned around, glaring at them. They were silent as early.

It was true that this new admiral did not have the build of Commander Phasma; on the contrary, it surprised by hers size which should not exceed one meter sixty. No one knew that in reality her growth had stopped at the age of fifteen, when an illness had struck her. She had survived and the doctors had guaranteed that she would continue to grow.  
They were wrong.

“I heard officers talking about her military journey. Bad student of the academy. Don't they have better? Launched an officer.  
"Bad .... by her behavior! It seems that her notes were not that bad. "  
"A mule head on top of that?" "  
"A mind to tame, therefore ..." Phasma whispered.  
"From which ship is she going to have the admiralty?" Hux said.  
"The Donnagher"  
"Great ..." he said contemptuously  
"Are you saying that because it is linked to the Starkiller project?" "

The Donnagher was a first class interstellar cruiser. It had just seen his admiral leave for a long retirement when he was mainly responsible for securing the Starkiller project. No one expected such a quick substitute, but probably that the advancement of the project of what was already called "the new death star" had weighed in the balance.  
They were interrupted by a resounding applause. The rally was over and the now new recruit was advancing on them with General Allegiant to be introduced to the officers.

"I guess you already know some of them. Whispered the general to the young woman.  
"Indeed," she said, tilting her head in respect.  
“As admiral of the Donnagher, you will mainly depend on the Starkiller project. So it's largely General Hux who will have to rely on you for all decisions. "

She considered him: she had already seen this man more than once. His physical appearance did not go unnoticed. She noticed him immediately because of his extremely light red hair and his pale complexion that stood out in his completely black uniform.  
She had also heard that he was cruel, merciless and highly offensive.  
When she was about to greet him, the general turned to Allegiant, completely ignoring her.

"Sir, I'm called to Starkiller. I would like to go there immediately. "  
"Of course, I don't hold you back any more Hux".

And without further ado he left the ranks with Captain Phasma. Enael was blown away by so much contempt. Was it therefore with "that" that she was going to have to work? In any case, one thing was certain. He did not fail in his reputation.


	3. For all right things

No sooner had she had time to discover her new ship and her crew than she had already been asked for on the Finalizer. Of course, she had already had time to converse with her captain. He was named Lewis and had fought alongside the empire before. His advanced age made her believe that he probably knew her grandfather, but that didn't really matter that day.

Above all, she had felt his distrust and knew from that moment that it would be difficult to assert herself as an authority. Enael was not taken aback and asked for explanations on the functioning of her predecessor.

"And so he never asked for any copies of the mission files?" She threw him in surprise.  
"No, he left that to his captains. Lewis said without wanting to tell him that he had found Hawkins very lazy.

"And he never argued with you?" She said to her technical team.  
"Very little admiral. Only when necessary. Replied the technician.

But it was absurd, how did he manage to maintain discipline in his fleet? How did he manage to be consistent?  
"Captain Lewis. "She launched" Note that right now I want a copy of all the mission reports on my desk.  
-Very good.  
\- I also want a meeting with my teams, every day for the passage of information. "  
Lewis looked up from his calpin. Surprised.  
"And I would also like to meet our soldiers.  
\- But, you have already met them when you took up your post.  
\- No Lewis, I will go on a mission with them, at least at the beginning, I want to meet them, I want to see what they are capable of. "  
The old captain looked dumbfounded. Where did this little admiral come from? Had she really been to the academy?  
"I am expected on the Finalizer for a mission order, Lewis will hold command while awaiting my return." Good work. "

Lewis was taken aback. She seemed so insecure on graduation, and here she seemed to know exactly what she wanted. Everyone was already saying that she was going to turn the Donnagher upside down, while others found these changes interesting.  
What was certain was that she did not leave anyone indifferent.

When she arrived on the Finalizer, Hux was already waiting for her. With a closed face he gave her a strict look. This guy was really rude.  
" I was waiting for you ! He hissed.  
" How can I help you?  
\- One of our bases has just sent me a rather ... disconcerting report. According to their statements, they noticed some malfunctions of our production machines. They can't find the source. And I find this extremely suspicious.  
\- In what ?  
\- Are you so stupid admiral? "  
She gave him a defiant look, so he wouldn't miss any opportunity to belittle her?  
"I'm thinking of sabotage!" But I can only be sure by sending someone there.  
\- And so I'm the lucky one who's going to go watch the dog over there, right?  
\- You have to start with something Admiral. And I haven't found anything more affordable for you than that.  
\- Do you mean that I lack competence? She hissed.  
"Let's say I offer you a mission at your level. "  
It was too much, he put up with it, him and his icy look that seemed to taunt her all the time.  
"I'm leaving now!"  
"Do that," he hissed. “I sent the location data as well as the Donnagher reports. They are already aware and are waiting for you. "

Enael had decided to accompany her soldiers and to go and see in person what was going on at the base. Their troops were greeted with great pomp by the commander who began to explain the situation to her. Recently he had noticed malfunctions with a generator in the north tower. These generators helped in the production of the cannons which would be the prototypes used for the Starkiller. It was therefore logical that this situation annoyed Hux to the point. This kind of malfunction would seriously delay the placement of the weapon and he could not afford a delay. The supreme leader did not like delays too much.  
When the commander made her see for herself, Enael asked for permission to take a look at "the beast" by herself and went straight to the engine room, she wanted to see the malfunction with her own eyes and followed the engineers working on site.

"It's here," said one of them.  
She watched the failure. Obviously, the interior of the engine had been deliberately degraded. Hux was therefore right across the board. And it could happen again if they did nothing.  
Back on the Donnagher, she asked to be put in direct contact with the general and locked herself in his office.

"I hope you don't bother me for nothing!" "  
This contemptuous tone had absolutely not failed him. Enael wondered if there was a day when she was pleasant.  
"You were right," she said, ignoring the remark. “It is indeed sabotage. "  
Hux seemed satisfied.  
"Well, if you can, find the culprit and do what you have to do, Admiral." And when it is done, take the data I asked for and come back to Finalizer as soon as possible. We must not waste time! So be effective, if it is in your ropes. "

She had quickly cut the transmission, doing so in his last remark and had summoned Lewis immediately. Hux was starting to seriously annoy her. He and his great tunes. Did he think he was the only one who was competent in his team?  
When Lewis arrived, she had explained her point to him. She knew this type of sabotage very well, because she had already practiced it at the start of her career. No doubt it was a first-rate guy who had turned his jacket over, but he had to be exposed.

"I can only trust my men on this one. And I would like you to assist me. I would like to question each person who has access to this generator, one by one separately and check that there are no discrepancies in their speeches. When did this dysfunction date?  
\- According to the report I have in hand, the breakdown was reported two days ago. "  
\- Then we will need all the reports dating from that time. It seems to me that on this kind of basis, a card scanned at the entrance and at the exit allows to know the comings and goings of this sector. We will need access.  
\- I'm going to put Lieutenant Travis on the spot. Said Lewis, enthused by his admiral's quick and delicate mind.  
"And something else Lewis. When you summon each member of staff. Do not state the reason. If they ask, just tell them that I am new and that I am starting on the Starkiller project. That General Hux considered me sufficiently ignorant to send me here in order to understand how the project works and that I want to gather as much information as possible to perfect my training. They must not be on the defensive, where we are fucked up.  
\- Yes, admiral. Lewis smiled, this kid was much smarter than she looked.

The interrogations had started almost immediately. Spencer did not want to waste time and allow the mole to consider an avoidance strategy. She asked the captain for an unused part and settled in with a notebook. Enael had asked to see all the personnel having access to the generator, including the officers, pass by. This had initially annoyed the commander, but his justification held water and he had found no place to discuss.  
Lewis had observed each of the interrogations. She hadn't deigned to take a break until late at night. But what surprised him most was his method. Always friendly and smiling, she only took technical notes during the interviews. Sometimes taking the time to reformulate the question in a different way. She followed a standard procedure, although she used many manipulative ploys.

But that was not what shocked him the most.  
It was what she did when they left.

As soon as one of her "suspects" left the room, Enael continued to take notes, but no longer used technical terms. "Withdrawn", "seemed nervous", "hesitated to answer the question of the timetable. "," Rather relaxed ". She seemed to describe and interpret each of their responses and expressions.  
What Lewis was unaware of was that this character trait dates back to her childhood. When her tutor left her alone, Enael had become a ghost. Going unnoticed by those responsible for her education, she had always looked at the world around her without really having a place in it.  
She had observed the people around her, had been a spectator of their emotions: anger, sadness, fear, ...  
Lie  
Hatred.  
All these years hidden in the shadows had served her to understand that sometimes, the human being did not show what he really thought.

" I got it. She exclaimed. Lewis jumped, he fell asleep on those notes. Had she at least slept? Probably not. He watched the blank sheet puzzle that littered the ground. All of her notes were there, lined up and dispatched around the room.

"Tomorrow morning we have to summon everyone. I absolutely have to confront him, ”she said enthusiastically.

When the next day she had summoned everyone to the generator, Enael had them lined up in front of her and a deadly silence reigned in the courtyard. Everyone probably feared being wrongly or rightly accused by their neighbor. She reviewed them, stopping here and there to look them straight in the eye.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your full cooperation, your information has been of great help to me." She began. "But it also allowed me to understand what had happened to generator A . "  
She continued her review. Lewis was watching her. She was like a wolf ready to pounce on its prey. The monster lurking in her seemed to have woken up. And it scared him.

Enael turned to a young woman barely older than her and pulled her out of the ranks. She was an engineer responsible for maintaining the generator. Then she started to circle around her, repeating certain questions that she had already asked her. The girl looked terribly nervous. But when Enael brandished her weapon and placed it on her temple she could not hold back her tears and each of them gasped.

"You are lying and I know it." Have you never been taught that it's ugly to lie? The other testimonies are categorical, the time you indicate is not the correct one.  
-I swear ... that ... that ... that "

Enael aimed his weapon at the ground and fired 1 cm from his foot, the young woman screamed and fell to her knees in tears. The admiral rested her weapon on her forehead.

"You're lying to me again and the next one will go and stay there!" She said categorically.  
"Stop! A voice had just risen in the ranks, a man had just come out. "She has nothing to do with it, leave her there." "

Enael considered the man. It was Deputy Commander Melvin.

"Ah, there you are finally!" It's not too soon. How long were you planning on letting her be torn down like this? "  
Lewis was stunned. Enael had orchestrated everything in order to get the culprit out of his hole. She knew the girl had nothing to do with it.  
"They promised me, they promised us a sum of money that would allow us to leave this base and live far from here ... I ... I should not have listened to them and ..."  
Enael turned to the stormtroppers. " You know what you have left to do. Take them both. "  
The soldiers took them away and Enael turned.  
"I will make my commander report, we can say that this case is closed. Transfer me the data I came for and we will leave.  
-Very good. "  
And as she headed for her transporter, she joined Lewis, who didn't say a word. What he had seen from his admiral had frozen his blood. She hadn't let anything show through and he hadn't distinguished any mood in her.  
She had been ruthless.

"I know what you're thinking about, captain," she said confidently. "But I wouldn't have killed this girl. I had heard in the interrogations that Melvin had an affair with her. It was the only way for him to report himself.  
\- But you still send them to execution. The result is the same. He hissed.  
"By rubbing shoulders with him, she inevitably became his accomplice! She paused. Feeling like you have to justify yourself. "Betrayal is a war crime captain. They played and they lost. "

Lewis was looking at her.

"But what do you know about war, admiral ?" She was not thirty, had not lived through the wars of the empire, and she seemed to be teaching her a lesson.  
-Not much. She admitted. “I just know that we have to do what is necessary to protect what seems right to us. "

And it was without another word that they joined the Donnagher. Ultimately, she may have inherited the Tarkin genes.


	4. A bitter triumph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After disobeying orders, Spencer receives the wrath of General Hux in the face and doubts her skills.

The mass of soldiers had gathered at the landing station. Everyone knew that the Donnagher was back with his fleet and absolutely wanted to salute the feat. What had happened in the outer border had already gone around the base and everyone wanted to greet the one without whom it would not have been possible.

In fact, on his return from a fact-finding mission, the Donnagher had received a distress signal from troops in difficulty on a neighboring planet. Lewis had explained to Enael that this planet contained mine of a material of capital importance for the Starkiller project and that it had been several months that the troops struggled to take control of it. The idea of losing the mines and especially the troops there made her sick and despite the orders, she ended up ordering her fleet to turn around to lend a hand to the soldiers there. The strategy had worked and after having used the ion gun twice on strategic locations, it had received a reissue message. Signing the end of this military intervention. The enemy had been taken by surprise and overwhelmed by reinforcements from the First Order.

Enael was surprised to find that her soldiers followed her without question. Even if she had been honest with them, explaining to them that it was only a personal decision. They were aware of the risk taken and had agreed to follow it despite it.  
Despite the risk of loss. And it was stronger than ever that she had returned to base.  
Henceforth, she was no longer "the little admiral", but the one who had returned to rescue troops in great difficulty after a successful scouting mission. This intervention had avoided even greater losses and had definitively confirmed the victory of the first order on these lands. Now that the final materials were coming together, the launch of Operation Star Killer was just a matter of time.  
She had made a faultless one so far, she was sure of it.

And while she appeared on the pontoon of her transporter, she was seized by the applause that came from the ground. Was it really all for her? The soldiers advanced to shake her hand, blowing her a bravo or a thank you, some just wanted to see her. But when she was stopped short in her advance by a large black figure, she suspected that he had no desire to hug her.

"-General Hux ...  
\- And I suppose of course that you are proud of yourself? "

He was hardly there to look down on her with his condescending contempt when he annoyed her.

"Shouldn't I?" She said.  
"You disobeyed orders, our orders! You could have caused heavy material losses to our fleet.  
\- And I should have let them die? General, you know as well as I do that if I had not intervened not only would they run their losses, but that would have given our enemies time to destroy their mining facilities and ...  
\- Silence! He cut off, will you stop talking one day? MY orders were to come back here after a reconnaissance mission, not to play heroines by answering a distress call and to intervene where you should not be! "

She was silent, arguing with him was strictly unnecessary.

"It is time, admiral, that you understand that your role is not to discuss orders, but to carry them out without question." Obviously, it would have served you to listen to the academy! And he walked away without a look. Just launching "You will be accountable!" "  
\- What a muzzle! "She growled.

Lewis giggled. She definitely did not mince words.

"Oh, he's always been like that. "The captain breathed, before continuing" But I must admit that he is unleashed at the moment. To believe that you make him nervous. "  
\- Oh dear ... "she hissed in a tone of irony.

But it was not time for Admiral Spencer and Captain Lewis to discuss General Hux's moods, since they were already expected on the command bridge.  
If she was still in the euphoria of her triumph, Enael did not expect to be disillusioned so quickly.

"How dare you ??? "

Pryde had just typed the report on the table, his face distorted with anger. His eyes were ionic lasers pointed at Enael who was having trouble holding his gaze.

"Do you have a good explanation, admiral?" "  
"I ... I couldn't ignore a distress call ..."  
"This call would have been answered one day another!" You had to stick to the plan. Is it so complicated for you miss? "

She looked down, she had nothing more to say than that. She could not bear to ignore a distress call and to have had unnecessary deaths on the conscience.  
But Pryde didn't care.

"You have wasted considerable time advancing the project by bringing your reconnaissance data back late. Some settings will not be ready in due time and all of this is entirely your fault. And imagine, to top it off, if your ship had stayed there! ”

"I take full responsibility for it, sir." She breathed, looking up courageously. She couldn't sit there looking at the ground like a beaten dog.

Not in his presence.  
Because he was there, straight like a stake, behind Pryde, and he was watching him. Hux did not miss a crumb of his humiliation and Enael had noticed the grin of satisfaction he was trying to hide.

"Asshole," she thought. All his resentment was summed up in one word. This guy was a rot in addition to being his superior.

"I should dismiss you from office, I imagine you are aware of it." "

She nodded, even if she thought it was terribly unfair.

“Nevertheless, it must be recognized that if time has been lost for data, it has been gained for materials. And may your success on your reconnaissance mission work in your favor. In addition, there are few human and logistical losses. You were born under a lucky star admiral Spencer. "  
He paused.

"I will consider this a youthful mistake, but it is in your best interest to change your tune. At the next blunder, I won't miss you. "

She nodded "Yes, general"  
"Break! "

She bowed quickly and left, followed by her captain.

No sooner had she returned to the Donnagher than she had asked not to be disturbed until the next day. She was hiding in the back of her apartments, a book in her hand. She had brought her personal library to the Donnagher because she found her only refuge there when nothing was going well.  
And there, nothing was really right.  
She kept thinking about what she had done. Had she done so badly, thinking first and foremost of human loss? Enael felt that the decision she had made was right, but had she really forgotten the stakes of her mission?  
She would have felt like she was not herself if she had ignored this call.  
But she also had the impression that nobody accepted who she was.

And surely not Hux.

Her face kept coming back to her thoughts. Her contemptuous air, her satisfaction at seeing her being humiliated to this point. It was driving her crazy.  
She heard the door slide.  
It was Lewis. She saw in his eyes that he was not there for work.  
"Am I bothering you, admiral?" He said to her  
Now that he was there, did she have a choice? And then did he deserve to pick up his temper in the face? He too had been in this room with her.  
“No captain, I was reading an exciting book on the material that we collected for Starkiller. Did you know that it takes very little to destroy a planet? "

The old captain squinted and settled in front of her, trying to catch his eye. A strange feeling had taken hold of him. Some time before, he had seen this merciless woman point this poor technician without remorse and send her to the gibbet. He then saw her distraught at the idea of letting human lives disappear without doing anything. And here she is, doubting everything she had done.

"You still think about it, don't you?" "

Silence. Enael put the book down and leaned on the back of her chain. Looking out of the ship window.  
"Admiral, stop doubting yourself.  
-And how could I after being treated like an old rag by my superiors?  
\- You did what you thought was right. Isn't that what you keep saying?  
-But it obviously wasn't! "  
She got up, feeling nervousness tickling her legs.

" And then you saw it ?  
-Who is that ?  
\- But him there, with his arrogant little boyish air. Have you seen him with his sly look? "  
Lewis thought he understood where she was coming from.  
She was talking about Hux.  
"You would be telling me that what annoys you the most in all this ... Is General Hux's attitude? "

Enael turned doubtfully. The old man had just put his finger where it was needed.  
" Of course not ! She lied. "All of this annoys me. I have, I have the impression to have committed a crime, whereas in my eyes, the crime, would have been to let them die there! "

Lewis was smiling. He had had it all wrong about her from the start, believing that she would be a pawn of the first order without faith or value.

"Admiral ..." he breathed as she moved back to face him.  
"You know ... I think the problem with our superiors is that they all saw you as Tarkin's heiress. And they probably thought you would have acted like he would have acted.  
\- But I'm not my grandfather ... I.  
\- No, you are not. Lewis paused. "And I'm delighted. "

Lewis thought back to when she got on board. When he learned that Grand Moff's little girl would take over the Donnagher, he was afraid. With his advanced age, he had known war and Tarkin was in his eyes a ruthless being whose example was not to be followed.

"I must not hide from you that before meeting you, I feared that you would be like him." I was even convinced of it after the history of the generator. It is true that I greeted you with great suspicion and I apologize for it today. "  
"You shouldn't ..."  
"Let me finish, if you don't mind, Admiral." So stop doubting this decision. Our men followed you today because they agreed, all without exception. This is what I have heard over and over on the bridge since our return. You may not have impressed your superiors, but they are grateful to you.

"But grateful for what?" She said incredulously.  
He got up slowly and put a hand on her shoulder before walking away to the door. Definitely, this kid was surprising.  
“For allowing them to believe that there was still a semblance of humanity in what we were doing. That our cause was just. "

Enael was struck.  
"You know, war has at least taught me one thing.  
\- Which?"  
He gave her a broad smile. So began his teaching.  
"Respect for our soldiers is much more valuable than that of our superiors"

The admiral did not know what to answer.  
"Sleep now, tomorrow is another day, I wish you a good night." "  
She stayed there a moment staring at the door after the captain had left the room. Her eyes shone with a thousand lights, but she knew how to hold back the emotion that wanted to get out of it.

Enael closed his book. Thinking that she had also just closed the first chapter of her military career.


	5. all this is necessary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While she is accompanying General Hux on a mission, an incident occurs which brings about a considerable rapprochement between them

"We have to go"

Somewhere in the galaxy. A 5 after Yavin.

A voice broke into the room and everyone jumped.  
“They are the rebels, they are at the gates of the city. I do not give two days for the last positions to fall. "

Eurydice had looked at the man with a sad look.

"So the empire is going bad too ...". She had learned of the Emperor's death last year and knew it was only a matter of time before the rest followed.  
But she had hoped that the weather was milder with them.  
He nodded.  
"We are no longer safe here. The only way to get out is to reach the outer border and the Arkanis system ... If this place is still a safe place ...  
\- Do you have any information about this?  
\- All communications have been cut off for weeks. The man shrugged. "We must try, in any case, if we remain here on the dead, or at best subject to their authorities as civilians. "

Distraught, she turned to the child and shook him gently.

"Enael, wake up darling, we're going to have to go.  
\- Mmm..But godmother, it's still dark ...  
\- I know my child, but it's time. Dress yourself. "

She got up slowly, struggling to find her way in the darkness of the room. It was not luxury. This old large building was in ruins since the rebels and the new Republic hammered the area. They had been sleeping there for several days with other city residents who had lost everything.  
Eurydice might sing her lullabies, Enael had heard the detonations in the distance, and the faces grew heavier as the days went by. But she had preferred not to ask a question.

The man had provided clothing and capes to all of the residents. “We will not be traveling as a group. Just know that there are still shuttles leaving this planet, but for that you have to go to the neighboring city, to the east, and cross the enemy lines of the capital. "  
She quickly dressed the child, who was barely five years old.

"Did you hear Enael?" We are going to have to walk for a long time. When we can rest I will tell you, not before. You will have to be brave.  
\- I'm taking Misty with me. "  
Misty was her plush little black cat. She had always had it. Some told him that it was his grandfather's birth present. She will never know.  
-Very good, but do not lose it under any pretext, is that understood? "  
The child nodded while his godmother lifted her hood, the latter did the same with hers before taking the little girl by the hand. She greeted her makeshift roommates, knowing that she would probably never see them again and left with the child.

In a deafening silence, Enael could only make out echoes in the distance. Hardly perceptible, these sounds seemed to come from another world. Outside, everything was nothing but ruins. The once majestic buildings had collapsed under enemy fire and the city was no longer happy.

It was all desolation.

Raising her eyes to the sky, Enael hoped to see the moon in the distance, the only light that was still familiar to her. But the only thing she could see was a drifting cruiser entering the atmosphere.  
The world she lived in fell apart forever.

The fiery blazes of the burning buildings disturbed their orange colors at night, and there was probably no longer a single axis that had not been covered with rubble. Enael painfully stepped over the obstacles with her little legs, but refused to complain to her godmother, who was already walking far too fast for her liking.

"Godmother," she said finally. "Why do people shout first names?" They look so sad. "

Enael had struggled to recognize the large town square where she had spent the past few years. Surrounded by other figures, she heard the calls and distinguished the lost glances of the people who prowled around, like ghosts.

“They call their friends. Eurydice launched without stopping to walk.  
"And why don't they answer?" They are playing hide and seek ? "

Eurydice no longer knew what to say. She wanted to spare the child that if no one answered it was simply because no one could do it anymore.  
Because they were all there on the ground. Without life.  
But a young woman on her knees, sobbing, holding in her hands the face of an inanimate little boy on the ground had answered for her.

"Come on, hurry up now!" She finally said, drawing the little girl to her. For a moment she had imagined herself in place of this woman. What if Enael had taken that cannon shot? What if she had lost this little girl? She could never have forgiven herself. Before her departure, she had sworn to Eleonore to protect her child at the risk of his life. And over the years, she had become fond of the girl.

She looked around, lifeless bodies littered the ground and she was sometimes forced to pass over them. They were soldiers, sometimes civilians, all of whom had died under fire.  
Distracted by the sad spectacle, the child did not directly realize that his godmother had stopped walking and felt a hand hold her back. She looked straight ahead, they were there.

The rebels.

She could hear them laughing loudly and she could hear musical instruments. In the distance, she saw one of them waving the flag of the Republic.  
The face of her godmother came to rest before her.

"From now you will not let go of my hand under any circumstances. And above all, above all ... "she paused briefly. "Never look them in the eyes, never!" Is this understood? "  
Enael nodded and an inexplicable fear took hold of her.

She felt the grip of her godmother tighten on her hand, and she took advantage to get closer to Euridyce who walked in a hushed but fast step.

The little girl gave discreet glances as the songs of the rebellion rung around her. While a man seated on a barrel was playing a makeshift accordion, young people were dancing and singing while another was serving alcohol to his brothers in arms.

She saw in the distance the shadows of men and women on their knees being reflected against the wall of a ruined building. The shadows seemed to dance in the light of the braziers lit by the rebels. But their dances stopped one by one at each detonation that she heard reasoning.

"Die ! bunch of shit!" She heard screaming in a laugh.

She shook hands with her godmother.  
Fear.  
Misty had slipped from her hands.

She turned around, surprised, let go of her godmother's hand to rush to the cat that had fallen to the ground.  
And when his hand wanted to catch the stuffed cat, another hand had already landed on him. A calloused hand full of mud.  
She looked up.

A rebel.  
Looked her straight in the eye.

She was petrified. Eurydice had hastened to catch up with the little girl and looked at the man, seized with panic. What was he going to do with them? She was sure it was over.  
But the man seemed to have abused alcohol.  
He had already let go of the stuffed toy to focus on his own balance and his makeshift goblet as he staggered away.  
Enael did not have time to grasp the plush that her godmother was already dragging her with her.  
" No ! She shouted.  
"Silence Enael, silence," she said breathlessly.  
The child looked at his lifelong companion one last time, his eyes filled with tears.

\-----------------------  
"Admiral?" "  
She jumped. Would she still fall asleep while working?  
"Captain? She ends up answering into her microphone.  
"Sorry to disturb you in your work. But you are asked on the Finalizer immediately.  
\- Very well. "  
She leaned against the back of her chain. Did she still dream of that? From time to time, bits and pieces of that time in his life came back to him in dreams.  
And Enael would have preferred to do without it.  
But she wiped it all out of her mind for the moment, and went to the Finalizer.

\---

She had entered without announcing herself.  
Hux had stared at her as if she had just committed a lese-majesty crime.

"Have you never been taught to announce yourself?" He threw him dryly.  
"Hello General Hux, did you want to see me?" She said, ignoring the redhead's unpleasant remark. She had not considered this necessary because she had been summoned.  
He threw her a report on the desk. "Read! He ordered and Enael as if he were addressing a dog to whom he had just given a bone.  
She quickly skimmed over the report and exclaimed.  
"Are the thieves on Kijimi ?! "

To understand, we had to go back a few days. A transport of goods had been intercepted by a gang of thieves, no doubt linked to the rebellion. He had hijacked the convoy and what it was carrying. Kylo Ren had been furious and those responsible for guiding the transport had paid a high price. Hux was then responsible for finding the convoy and bringing back the goods intended for the project.  
He had therefore been on hot coals since then. Determined to carry out its mission, whatever the price to pay. Enael was surprised by so much determination. Where did he get such a rage to win and be the best? Was he always used to being on a pedestal? Was he still looking to impress everyone?  
"Yes, according to all our information on the spot, it seems that they are hiding there and I will go and get them." "  
He then got up and crossed his desk to retrieve his jacket.  
"And you're going to come with me.  
Seriously? She said irritably. Enael wondered how long her little mockery would last. "Do you need a nanny, general?" She said to him, doing her hierarchy.

Hux was stung and the red rose to his cheeks. This cheeky little girl did not lack air and she was unbearable. Her, her defiant look and her pouting pout of spoiled rotten kid.  
"You are new, this kind of recovery mission should not be familiar to you. And when I see how your "getaways" go when you are let go and frolic unattended, I prefer to see you under my authority. "  
Enael gave him a contemptuous look, she would not stoop to answer this kind of remark well worthy of this poor guy imbued with his person. Each time they met, he horrified him more and more.

"And when do we leave?"  
"On the field," he hissed. "Hurry up".

She couldn't help but breathe while looking up at the sky.  
Arrived at the boarding gate, the troops were already ready for departure and waiting only for them. She had checked that her weapon was still on her belt and settled alongside the troops.

If she had never set foot on this planet, she had read its history at length. Kijimi was an important recruiting pool for the First Order, but also a planet of thieves. There was an almost permanent anarchy there and it was even said that being sent there on patrol was a penalty.

But what she saw was far from what she had imagined through the books.

Outside the desolate and filthy streets, cries and pleas froze his blood. She could not turn her gaze without seeing a patrol break down a door or give a blow to a resident on the threshold of her own house. As they made their way into town, she couldn't take her eyes off this horrible sight.

Hux was advancing more determined than ever. Nothing that was happening around them seemed to reach him. Did he have a heart? How could he stay put in the face of ... all that.  
She stopped for a moment when she saw a woman on her knees in the distance, clutching the legs of a stormtropper.

"Please" she yelled "He did nothing, he did nothing!" His words were muffled in a sob. Enael understood that the other Stormtropper was holding her husband, whose hands he had shackled.  
Her only response was a kick in the jaw.

"Admiral !! She heard screaming in the distance.  
It was Hux.  
She hurried on to reach him.

"Do we have to do all of this?" She said.  
" What ? "  
"But look around! Is it really necessary?  
\- And are you asking me that? Should I remind you of your first mission?  
-It has absolutely nothing to do! "She exclaimed  
"Of course yes ! "

He stopped for a moment and planted his glance of ice in his.  
"Admiral, Kijimi may be a big recruiting pool, but this is also where the rebels find amateurs for their little traffics. These people have no value, they do not respect the established order. With indomitable beings it is very necessary to use force. "

What she had seen kept returning her to her past. She knew, she knew that her parents had once been executed like beasts by rebels who were too happy to celebrate their victory. When she and her guardian fled after the rebel victory, she witnessed this kind of repression against supporters of the empire. She had the impression ... That they had become like them.

"What if they weren't all like that?"  
\- And you are forgiving on top of that? You definitely have nothing for you! "  
"General" interrupted a stormtropper "We have detected the thieves".

At that moment, no more sound reached the ears of Enael. Her gaze had caught a silhouette lurking in the shadows and did not have time to take out her weapon that already, the man brandished his.  
Everything was going in slow motion. The man brandished his weapon, an expression of hatred. the barrel was aimed at ...

Hux.

l was too late to fire, the shot was already gone.  
Do not think.  
"General! She yelled.

Don't think, do the right thing.  
She leaps ...  
And fell.  
However, she did not feel the snow beneath her. She was still picking up the hubbub of the stormstroppers who had intercepted the fugitive.

"Heat, fabrics" she regained her calm, her spirits.  
She was lying on General Hux.

The impact was right behind them, no doubt that without her intervention the general would have died.  
They stayed there for a moment, breathless with adrenaline. He was breathing. She looked at him for a moment.  
He had magnificent eyes. And he seemed to be looking at her so insistently.  
It was the shock, no doubt ... It was the shock.

"Are you injured?" He whispered.  
She could only shake her head negatively. Too stunned by what had just happened.  
They stood up in a hurry. Hux had already brandished his weapon.

"Do you see now why all this is necessary, admiral?" "  
And as he finished his sentence, he placed the cannon on the forehead of the kneeling man.

"Long live the Rep ..." he didn't have time to finish his sentence when the blow went off.

It was finished.

Hux stood for a moment looking at the lifeless body of his attacker and pesta.  
"Your republic will not have much longer!" Then he turned to the admiral.  
"If we don't do it, they will."

Enael was stunned. Everything had happened far too quickly for her.  
"General" a troop of stormtropper arrived "they were intercepted. "  
"What about the goods?"  
"Affirmative, everything is in order"  
"Perfect" he shot each of the men brought before him. "We have nothing more to do here, let's go!" "

She considered the bodies strewn on the ground for a brief moment. If she had known violence before, it was mainly Hux's words that resounded in her head.  
Was she too forgiving? Had he been right about it? Anyway, today, it was obvious that it had been too much.  
And before we call her to order again, she headed for the transporter who would bring them back to the Finalizer.


	6. A last dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux remembers his past with his father at the dawn of a First Order gala.  
> He sees Admiral Spencer there again and this meeting will be ... special

It had been there for long. ...

Unknown land - Year 10 after the battle of Yavin

Armitage was there, sitting at his desk for what seemed like forever. When he returned from his training, he had the obligation to lock himself in his room and read the works that his father imposed on him.  
Like all children of his age, it was not with gaiety of heart that he adopted this studious attitude. But he knew that if he failed in his task, his father would notice him directly at his evening inspection.

Indeed, if Armitage saw his father daily, it was because the latter came to question him on his readings for several hours. And he had every interest in knowing all the answers.  
Because otherwise he would bring down his wrath.  
He still felt his cheek bruised by the slap he had taken the day before. While he had already questioned him for hours, the little redhead had had the misfortune to be wrong. Not because he didn't know the answer, but simply because he was falling from fatigue.  
His father had gone mad and the slap he had received had knocked him from his chair. His father then took off his belt to strike him in the ribs.

"Miserable fool! He had yelled, "You are a Hux, and a Hux has no room for error." Is it you who will inherit my status? You are not even able to answer what I ask you! "

He had cast a last scornful look at the boy, now alone with his pain. Lying on the ground, tears came to his eyes.  
He did everything to satisfy his father. From an early age he worked hard to be worthy of him.

In vain.

Instead, his father preferred to train this other young man who had been evacuated by his side during the fall of Arkanis. While he was still on the ground, sobbing, he felt a slight pressure on his hand, a soft caress as tender as that which his mother had once done to him. He looked up to come face to face with large gold eyes.

"Millicent ..."

He reached out to reach the purring cat, seeking contact from his master. Gently, she came to curl up next to him and Armitage had taken the cat in his arms, against him.

"You at least you will never abandon me, will you?" He whispered as the cat redoubled its purrs.

It was precisely this same purr who came to get him out of his thoughts.  
"Millicent ..." he breathed softly. "Will you not lie on this book?" If I haven't finished it tonight ... father will ... "  
"Armitage !!! "

He jumped, it was his father's voice calling him.  
" Here ! He yelled.

When his father called him he was always afraid. What did he still have to say to her?  
Or do it to him.  
He got up directly and rushed into the main hall. He saw his father there sitting next to another high-ranking man.  
"Go get some drink for me and Admiral Caspian!" He yelled as his guest gave him a sly look.  
He nodded and complied. Putting two glasses on a tray, he poured the whiskey that his father used to serve to the guests, then hastily brought the tray. It was when he arrived in the room that Millicent had decided to slip into his legs and trying to catch up he knocked the tray down.

In front of his father.

Who glared at him.  
"This bastard has a cook as a mother and is not even screwed up to serve us a drink!" Hissed his father.  
"Why did you drop the tray? He yelled as he approached him. The boy could feel his father's frozen breath on his face. He knew that if he told him the truth, his father would attack Millicent ... And he knew what his father was capable of ...

"I ... I was distracted father ..." he lied.  
"Distracted ?! Exclaimed Brendol, annoyed.  
"I guess he's going to pick it up," Caspian breathed, looking up at him.  
"No .... let him lick the floor!" "  
He remained silent for a moment.  
" Dad ? "

And facing the stern look of his father, Armitage lowered his eyes and knelt on his knees, facing the ground.

"You weak one! Yelled Brendol Hux, grabbing his son. His arm burned while he was literally dragged into his room where he was thrown as waste.  
"May I not see you again until tomorrow morning !! "He yelled" And if I hear the slightest noise coming from here, you will pay dearly! "

He turned off the light and locked the door, while the little redhead gathered his strength, ignoring the pain, to take refuge in his bed.

\---------------------------  
Several weeks had passed since the Kijimi incident ...  
At the end of each cycle, an assessment was made of the different units. It was usualy to end this heavy workload with an evening to which each member of the first order was invited, without distinction of rank.  
An evening that always ended in music.  
This kind of party that Hux did not support, but that he was forced to undergo in view of his military rank.  
He had dressed in uniform and had combed his red hair back and barely had he crossed the threshold of the room that the hubbub of gossip annoyed him. Everyone was there with a drink in their hands discussing things and others. He caught sentences here and there looking at the faces already reddened by alcohol.

"Aaah, General Hux" he had distinguished the voice of General Caspian who was already handing him a glass of champagne, which he sharply refused. Now that bastard had become general? He remembered his father's old friend very well. When he had ousted the latter, Hux had made sure that Caspian could spend happy days looking after an area of the galaxy as far away from him as possible. To avoid all discord, and knowing him to be very proud, he had dangled him a title of general in the army, without knowing that Pryde would accede to his request.  
But when Caspian started a big conversation with him, Hux already had nothing to do with it. His gaze had been captured by something else entirely.

She was there.

She had arrived with Captain Lewis by her side. As some admirals used to do. He had noticed that the old man had taken the admiral under his wing and seemed to respect her very much.

But that was not what his eyes were on her for. She had indeed swapped her usual uniform for a long black dress of delicately scintillating fabric and had straightened her auburn hair in a tidy hairstyle from which only two braids came out to surround her ears. Her big blue eyes were free from her rebellious locks and she wore only little artifice except a brooch in the shape of an orchid and silver earrings.

Hux couldn't understand why he couldn't take his eyes off her as she stepped forward to greet some of the officers. He was as if hypnotized.

"Are you listening to me, General Hux?" "  
He returned to his reality when he heard Caspian call him to order.  
"I was distracted, continue. "

\----

"You are observed"

The words Lewis whispered in her ear made her jump. She gave him a doubtful look.  
He nodded to General Hux, who was already chatting with one of his colleagues.

"Tss, Lewis, you kidding! "

Oh no he didn't at all. He had seen it from the moment they had crossed the stairs. He had seen how Hux hadn't taken his eyes off her, and the look on his face was far from a look of contempt.  
Enael had asked Lewis to accompany her this evening. She was terribly anxious to find herself there, alone, with so many people.  
"I don't want to goof! Imagine ? If I meet Great Admiral Sloane and I miss protocol! Please ... "she insisted to Lewis. It was true that Enael feared as much as she expected to meet this lady. She had heard that she might be there tonight and she was on fire. Sloane was her model, she had heard her military facts and her many campaigns had made her dream. But Lewis hadn't bet on her presence.

The young woman felt nervous for this evening, her agoraphobia tended to take over and she did not support this kind of stuffy evening. She had been delighted to be able to leave her uniform in the closet when Lewis explained to her that many of the high-ranking ladies did, unlike the men, who were sorely lacking in good taste.

"Have fun tonight, and avoid drinking too much champagne, you know it could be playing tricks on you." "

The admiral gave him a mischievous look, she had explained to him that when she was too anxious in this kind of social parade, she tended to drown her stress in alcohol and that champagne was not really the drink that succeeded best.

"Yes, father," she teased.  
"And sarcasm too, you can avoid it." He launched, smiling.

The evening had run its course. Everyone enjoyed the different dishes offered and Enael seemed much more comfortable. Until the music was heard.  
This horrible music was synonymous with dance. And she hated it.  
Quickly taking refuge in a corner of the room, her peace was not long before Lewis came to pick her up.  
“Admiral Spencer will certainly give me her first dance. "  
He saw in the young woman's eyes that she hated him deeply.  
"Can I kill you on the spot?" She called before grabbing her hand.  
And while he was dancing, Lewis say to her.

"How many glasses of champagne have you had?"  
\- Any ?  
\- You won't fool an old man.  
\- Only one ! Oh pity, I'm not a camel, I need to hydrate myself well. "  
He laughed.  
“You have changed Amirale since taking office. You seem more confident to me and I must admit that I am proud of you.  
\- Thanks Lewis. It must be said that it is a little thanks to you and your precious advice. "  
But as they danced a shadow rose on the side, Enael turned her head.

It was Hux.

-Captain Lewis. He launched in an icy tone. "Can I borrow the admiral for a dance?" "  
She was flabbergasted. Had she heard correctly? Lewis nodded with a smile and let him take his place. The admiral looked at him with panic as Lewis winked at her. She then grabbed Hux's outstretched hand and got carried away by the dance, more suspicious than ever.  
There was a brief silence, she hadn't had him so close to her since her intervention on Kidjimi and the circumstances were different so how to explain that her heart was beating so fast?

"I wanted to thank you for Kidjimi.” He said to him finally.  
She was taken aback. If she had hoped for a simple thank you from him a few weeks ago, she did not expect him to come to her for this sole purpose. And not so late.  
"Better late than never ..." she hissed.  
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that remark. He called out to her. "I also wanted to know if you understood what I wanted to tell you that day. Did you understand why it was necessary? ”  
"Yes and no," she began. "I must admit that what happened here unforgivable and deserves this kind of treatment ...  
\- But ?  
\- But maybe we are too severe.  
\- Or you too forgiving.  
\- Probably. "  
Enael was silent, she realized that if the tone was not the warmest, she chatted with Hux without animosity and that pleased her.

"Or maybe you are too harsh," she added, smiling.  
"If we start like this this dance will last forever. "

Maybe it was what she wanted. She gave him a mischievous look, then couldn't help laughing.  
A smile appeared on Hux's face, and that gave him a little something ... touching.  
How handsome he was when he smiled. His features softened and he seemed soothed. In the end, they weren't that different. They were both hiding behind a mask. Although she admits that Hux's was difficult to break through.

"Would I have had the chance to see the smile of Armitage Hux? She said in a slightly more familiar tone.  
"Probably the laughter of Enael Spencer disconcerted him," he whispered.

How long have they been dancing? Enael felt like she had lost track of time because the discussion was so pleasant. Did she imagine saying that one day in an talk with Hux?  
In truth, the whole moment was completely surreal.

"I suppose I owe you that."  
\- A second smile?  
\- You are never happy. "

Enael giggled, she realized that neither of them could help provoking each other verbally. Like a kind of game that had settled between them and which, little by little, seemed to build their relationship. Neither of them ever wanted to have the last word and fought hard not to leave it to the other. It amused her as much as it annoyed her: she hated losing.

"Where are you from, Enael?" He said to him finally.

When had he decided to stop calling him by his rank? Did that mean that he too felt like he was out of time and out of reality? Did he like this little conversation? It was the first time she had heard her name through her mouth and a chill had run down her spine.

“After the fall of the Death Star, I found myself with my tutor on Bonadan. But when the rebels also took over these territories, let's say that I was ... transhipped to the right and to the left before arriving in the unknown regions. "

Hux realized that the spoiled child he had imagined was perhaps not that much, he had the feeling that the character was much more complex than that. She stirred his curiosity, he wanted to know her a little more. But he felt it was far too premature.

"Finally, I imagine that a man like you, who has always lived in a privileged cocoon of the imperial elite has never heard of these exiles, right?" "

The general did not know what made him tick the most. Was she taking him for an ignorant, or the fact that she considered his existence to be "privileged"?

She had had nothing privileged.  
On the contrary.

He pierced her gaze with his icy eyes.

"Is that really what you think of me Spencer? That I am a "privileged"?  
This severity had taken his breath away. Why this sudden change in tone? Is it not the truth? Did he have things to hide too? "

"In fact, I just don't know anything about you. She replied to send the subject to the trash. "I just know that we go to the academy at the same time, but that we never crossed paths because you were older". She continued.  
-And you were not carrying our academy to heart?  
\- That's not it, let's say that I was not very academic. The theory didn't particularly interest me.  
\- My father managed this academy.  
"That explains a lot ..." she said jokingly.  
“Don't take advantage of this truce to allow yourself this kind of humor. He said falsely accusingly.  
"I still imagine that being the boos’s son was practical to be comfortable at the academy, right?" She insisted.  
" Not really, no. "  
A sensitive subject, she had perceived it in the tone of his voice. Too soon, she changed tried to quickly divert the conversation. Her gaze was fixed on an elderly man she had never seen before.

"General, who is the man over there alongside Pryde?" It is the first time that I see him here.  
\- General Caspian. I don't really like him and neither does the supreme leader. That's why he was sent far from here. It seems that he is not really a reliable person.  
\- And your opinion? "  
He thinks for a moment. Did it make sense to talk about this now? If he had to tell the truth, he would explain how this man, like his own father, had been one of the biggest bastards in his youth.

But he preferred not to say anything.

"He's a moron. Nothing more!"

She laughts discreetly. Once again, the general had shown a clear and concise analysis. He had the art of not taking tweezers and it was a trait that she appreciated on him.  
Hux was taken aback. The person he was dancing with was far from his image of Admiral Spencer. He had always seen her as a kind of spoiled rotten child, from the great imperial nobility and who had enjoyed the notoriety of her grandfather. Instead, he saw an unpretentious young woman who didn't seem to be as vain as she looked.

"You know, I don't really like you, Spencer."  
She made him look falsely surprised.  
"Really? I hadn't noticed ..."

He had an amused grin.

"But I have the impression that I may have been a little mistaken about you ..." he threw at her before pausing. "I will make an effort, finally, I will try."

Was he half-confessing that he didn't hate her that much? Enael watched him dancer partner carefully. He was far from the contemptuous and unforgiving general she had known until then. He was honest, calm,polite and had even risked humor. And even if it cost her to think about it, she didn't find the situation unpleasant.  
"I will do the same. Finally, I will try. "She added with a wink

"Admiral"  
The bubble in which she had locked herself with him had just exploded and she glanced at the soldier.  
"Excuse me for interrupting, you are requested from General Pryde." He would like to introduce you to the officers of the western border. "  
She nodded, euphoric at this strange moment. Then glanced at Hux.

"I have to go I think. But, I will dance again with you.  
"I hope so," he said.

Was it really a wish? Without thinking Enael took down the brooch she had on her dress and slipped it into Hux's hand.

" Hold. She whispered "As a promise, you will give it back to me the next time we dance." "

And she walked away, her heart pounding, her breath short, euphoric.  
She had just experienced one of the best moments of her life.

It had been several hours since he had lost sight of Enael. Since she had been called by Pryde, she had not reappeared in his field of vision. Hux had grabbed a glass of champagne and thought back to the evening episode he had just spent. If he had imagined that one day he would have had this kind of conversation with her, he would have burst out laughing so much it would have seemed absurd to him.  
Yet it had happened.  
He had the feel that it had allowed him to discover that he was not that different from her and even if he still refused to be fully aware of it. He had enjoyed this moment.  
But as it all turned around in his head, he stopped dead and was seized with fright.

Enael was there, standing with his back, her cheeks reddened by the alcohol that she had the smile typical of those who had already passed the fourth glass of champagne. But there is nothing frightening about it, except that General Caspian seemed to hand her a new glass with a smile he knew.  
It was the same heinous smile that his father displayed when he was having a bad time.  
And Caspian was a great friend of his late father, they were united by their cruelties and their baseness.  
His blood only went on tour and it didn't take long before he crossed the room and found himself facing them. He saw Enael's eyes light up as soon as he saw him arrive.

"Admiral, I need to talk to you.  
\- Oh General Hux, stay with us for a drink. This new recruit is so nice, really.  
\- I need to tell her about an urgent matter in private, Caspian. He replied dryly when he had already put his hands on the admiral's shoulders, making her flip over.

"Are you going to deprive me of such charming company, General Hux?" Caspian said as they were about to leave.  
Hux turned and gave him a look as dark as the abyss.  
"I promise you general, that if you put only one of your hands on her, I will bring you down. "  
He made her cross the room to one of the exit doors while she finished her last drink. Caspian remained nailed to the spot, knowing what his best friend's son was able of.

"Enael, you should go to bed. "  
She looked at him insistently.  
"Oh pity Armitage, I have enough Lewis to tell me what to do, the evening is not over.  
\- Yes, it is. He hissed at her  
\- Nooo. I still want to dance. She said with a pout of pouting child. "I still want to dance with you!" "

She had grabbed his hands and pulled him slightly towards her. He had tensed up and everything stopped for a moment. At the touch of his hands, his heart started to beat faster and his cheeks were flushed. Had he also exaggerated on champagne? No, he seemed quite lucid. Yet at that moment, something was happening through their eyes.  
He obviously wanted to accede to this request, to relive what he had experienced earlier and to spend the rest of the evening with her.  
But it was not the right time ... Not in these circumstances.

"No ... Not tonight, Admiral. He breathed, taking her hand to untie it with his own hand. He had called him again by his rank to mark a necessary distance. "Good night". He threw him dryly.  
She remained frozen for a moment remaining silent in the face of this refusal. Then, annoyed, she left towards the exit by hustling him.

He closed his eyes with a sigh, he didn't want that, but it was necessary.  
"Check that the admiral has found its way to her compartment," he hissed at the soldier who replied with a greeting.  
As for him, he was tired of this evening and felt that he had no reason to stay any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really had a lot of fun with this chapter!  
> About the flashback on Hux, I was clearly inspired by the comics. I just changed the name of Hux's father's friend.
> 
> Hope you will like this chapter !   
> Thx for your kudos and comment ! =)


	7. Cardinal's investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Spencer is entrusted with the investigation into the disappearance of Captain Cardinal. She is far from suspecting that it directly concerns General Hux. And this idea does not please Captain Phasma at all

\- Godmother?

Somewhere in the galaxy year 5 after Yavin

Silence danced around her with intense tinnitus. She thought she had slept, but her alarm clock seemed too strange for that. This headache, this blurred vision, she felt so bad that she was almost nauseated.  
Evil, as if she had passed out.  
The wind was caressing the cheeks of the fair-eyed girl. Her face was soiled with dirt and grime, while her messy hair mixed with the ground.  
What had just happened?  
The tinnitus gradually gave way to voices which rose in the distance. She distinguished names, shouted with concern all around her. But she remained motionless there, lying on the ground.  
The sky was that of dawn. Another day that started here. How many mornings had she seen since then? When they learned that Arkanis had fallen into the hands of the rebels, their world had collapsed. Enael had perceived distress and despair in the eyes of her godmother, despite all the efforts she had put in to not let anything appear. Hope still lay in the fact that the empire, in its last bursts of resistance, still sent soldiers here and there to evacuate the victims. But hope was dwindling day by day under the rebel fire.  
They had even come to realize that counting the days was no longer necessary.

"Godmother?" She whispered.

Suddenly she understood what had happened. Just before the complete darkness, she was there on this place with Eurydice in order to profit from a distribution of rationing, when suddenly the howls had asked them to hide.  
An explosion  
And then nothing.  
Full black.  
There followed a hiss, the dust flying in the distance, the vessels crossing the sky.  
Then silence.  
These voices which were gradually reborn called their loved ones and brought Enael out of her torpor.  
Already seen she said to herself.  
But this time was very different.

She recovered, where was godmother? Did the explosion separate them? She tilted her head several times, up, down or to the right, then, still seeing nothing, turned to the left to get up.

And that's where she lives it.

There she was, a hundred yards away, lying on her back. Her dislocated body still seemed to be in a deep sleep, but yet her wide open eyes stared straight ahead, frozen.  
As if she was staring at her.  
Or nothingness.

"Godmother! She exclaimed, getting up hurriedly to throw herself on her tutor. She knelt beside her and turned her over while shaking her lightly.

"Godmother, wake up!" It's over now, we have to go. "  
Eurydice remained with her eyes wide open. Silent. Besides, why did she sleep with her eyes open? Surprised the girl without ceasing to shake her gently. Why did his body run out of energy?

"Godmother! She cried then. But nothing seemed to get her out of her heavy sleep.  
She stood there for a moment, standing above her to watch what was going on around her. No one was looking at her, everyone seemed to be busy picking up the debris from their forever shattered lives. The ashes fell from the sky, giving the impression that a fine snow was lodged in the child's hair.

Finally, resigned, the little girl put her face close to that of Eurydice, looking for comfort and saying that she would wake up happy to see her safe. But as she expected to feel a soft, warm breath against her forehead, nothing came to her except the chill of the morning breeze.

It was then that she understood  
That his call was one of those  
Who would never have answers again.

\--------------------

She had woken up with a heavy head this morning. And while she got out of her bunk, Enael wondered what had been the most painful between the glasses of champagnes from the day before and the dreams she had recurrently. She chased away this unpleasant feeling by remembering yesterday evening. She perfectly remembered everything, including how Hux came to get her when she was chatting with Caspian and ... what happened next. Not sure if she should be angry or embarrassed about the situation she had put herself in. But she did not have time to deepen her reflection that already, Lewis called her to the command post of the Donnagher

"Don't look at me like that Lewis, please. "  
The captain actually looked at her with an almost mocking smile. She knew very well what he thought the only thing that kept him from speaking was his hierarchical position.  
"And how do I look at you, Madame?"  
\- Maybe as if you were dying to tell me that you warned me.  
\- It's bad knowing me, I'm not like that. "

Lewis couldn't help but notice the hollowed out mine of his admiral. She seemed tired even if she hadn't lost her temper in any way. But in view of the events of the previous day, he did not seek other explanations.

"Anyway, this is the first time in my military career that I have seen General Hux invite someone to dance.  
\- And you add more? She hissed. Trying to hide her cheeks which turned red.

This memory immediately chased away the bad dreams of the morning. Nor had she forgotten that moment spent with General Hux. Or what they said to each other. She had been disturbed to see how much she had let herself get involved in this dance, she who had always tended to distrust others in all circumstances. She didn't know how to explain it, but she had savored every second of that moment.

"You are requested on the Finalizer, admiral," said one of the assistants at the command post.

Was it Hux who called on her? The idea of seeing him again worried her a lot. How would she react? Act as if nothing had happened? And him ? Would he go back to his good old habits?

But when he arrived, her concerns were different. The admiral had quickly noticed that a tension reigned in the air like a poisoned gas. The faces had closed again, as if the magic of the day before had gone away. What was going on to make the atmosphere inside the ship so electric?

And that's where she lives it.

No glance, he was there, because he was walking in the opposite direction.

"Admiral ..." he breathed in an almost usual haughty tone. Enael was almost reassured.  
"General Hux ..." she replied in an even tone.  
" Here you are ! Hissed a voice behind them. Pryde then reached their level. Enael had noticed that he seemed much more rude than usual. And that his face - already highly unsympathetic - bore the mark of a bulldog ready to bite. He looked Hux contemptuously before turning to her.  
"I would like to see you in my office as soon as possible Spencer." I have a very specific request for you there. As for you ... "he called to the attention of the Hux with an infamous tone. "I'm waiting for you too, this story concerns us all, doesn't it?" these were the only words before leaving like an arrow in the direction of his headquarters. The tone Pryde had used to address Hux was deeply contemptuous and although Enael seemed to have already noticed the old general's dislike for her colleague, it was the first time she had been so. obvious witness.

As she headed for Pryde's office, she noticed that Hux had decided to take the same path.

"Well put back?" he said in an almost teasing tone. "  
The admiral gave him a quick glance. Had he decided to be more talkative?  
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about .... Oh ... maybe my 4 glasses of champagne or the fact that you sent me to bed as a five year old child?  
\- And you remember by the way ... would I have underestimated you ?!  
\- Could you be quiet? "  
They couldn't finish this conversation. Enael felt a presence behind their backs and stopped paying attention to Hux. When she turned around, she came face to face with the iron giant.

"Captain Phasma," she whispered. Impressed by its build. It seems that Pryde invited many people to his meeting. Could it be that the affair he was to speak of touched the very core of First Order? In response, Enael only had one look, not even a nod. Just a deep contempt for this great cold and merciless armor. She also glanced at Hux before telling him that Pryde was already waiting for them all.

" Get comfortable ! He hissed.

The admiral landed on one of the empty seats in the large oval desk. Around it was gathered a large part of the generals of the First Order. Pryde tossed her a folder on the table before settling down.

It was difficult for Enael to know what intimidated her the most in this situation. Being surrounded by the most prestigious high-ranking officers was not an easy task, but the idea that Phasma had remained standing behind her made her sweaty. She almost felt like she had made the worst mistake in the world and that she had just received her death.

"I suppose, Admiral, that you are not aware of the latest events that have taken place here. "

Hissed Pryde, resting on his file. He launched a hologram and made a massive figure appear in red Stormtrooper armor. The one and only armor that stood out from the rest, except Phasma’s.  
She was almost relieved to see that she was not the subject of this meeting.  
"Captain Cardinal," she whispered.  
"Perfectly, I guess you know why we want to talk to him?"  
"To tell the truth, I only heard what my men say about it," she replied, her eyes fixed on the hologram. For a few days, a wind had been running in the fleet that the captain had mysteriously disappeared from traffic. Some even said that he had committed suicide. Or that he had joined the resistance.  
"And what do they say, your men? Said the voice of a general seated to the right of Pryde.  
"That he mysteriously disappeared without a trace. She just said.

She glanced at Hux, feeling strangely watched. Was he watching her? Anyway, she had no proof of it, because he had quickly looked away at the hologram. He remained silent and impassive. It sent her back to the moment Pryde had tapped her on the fingers after her misconduct. He seemed to be there once again as a spectator.

"And we are very worried about it!" Exclaimed Pryde with a very annoyed tone. "As you know, Spencer, this man was a key element in the training of our cadets. It is of paramount importance that we know what happened to him. And if unfortunately he died, it is essential that we know do him justice. "

The tension in the room was easily felt. If one thing was certain, it was that this disappearance made everyone extremely nervous and that everyone found it very shady. But the admiral seemed overwhelmed, especially since she had the strange feeling that Phasma was watching her.  
"That's why, admiral, that I appointed you to lead the investigation. Said General Pryde. This declaration had caused a surge of surprise mixed with enthusiasm. Enael, on the other hand, took it like a stab in the stomach and felt totally helpless. But when she wanted to speak a voice rose behind her.  
"General, are you sure it makes sense to designate her?" Phasma seemed to emphasize the contempt by nodding her head. "This is a matter of the utmost importance, and ..."  
“It must be said that despite some deviations, Admiral Spencer resolved the sabotage and allowed the project to move forward more quickly. I think that precisely her lack of seniority, may allow her to be more ... Objective than some of us. "  
Enael was certain that the old general was targeting some of his colleagues but was unable to determine who. So that was her new mission? Looking for a ghost? She didn't know what to say.

“Start today, Admiral. From now on you will give me a regular report on the progress of your investigation. Put your men on the spot if you deem it necessary, but you suspect that nothing should be too widely publicized. "  
She nodded in agreement.  
"Arrange! Then called Pryde to dismiss his guests. Everyone left one by one, including Phasma and Hux who did not even glance at him.  
"Anything else Admiral?" "  
She jumped.  
"No, sir," she whispered before standing up.  
"Don't make me regret this choice. He called out to her as she left the room.

"What are you playing Hux for?" "  
Phasma had thrown this sentence in his face as soon as they left the room. She had challenged him and then led him back, where no one could overhear the conversation.  
"What are you talking about, captain?"  
\- Don't make fun of me, I saw you earlier. Don't tell me that the little admiral catches your attention. "

Hux twitched. He had known Phasma for a long time and they had served a common interest. He knew that behind his armor hid a cold piercing gaze, which could see everything through his visor. The general considered her for a moment.  
"Are you serious?  
\- I've seen you. You never took your eyes off her. She said to him. "This kid is all the more dangerous now that she is in charge of the investigation!"  
\- And you don't find it wise to put her to sleep a little?  
\- I would find it judicious that we solve the problem differently! "

Hux remained a moment without knowing what to answer. Facing him, Phasma seemed adamant. If Enael found out the truth about Cardinal, she was ruined and he was aware that the commander would drag him down.

And he knew it was Pryde's intention when he appointed Admiral Spencer to lead the investigation. Hux knew that the old wolf only dreamed of seeing him humiliated and not satisfied with his previous attempts, he had just used an excellent asset.

"You said it yourself Phasma, you doubt her skills don't you?" He began in a honeyed tone. "In a short time she will forfeit and a more docile investigator will be appointed. At that time, the case will be closed without follow-up. "

Phasma looked General Hux coldly. If he was certainly right, she was no less suspicious. She preferred to fix the problem before it arose, which she had always done. And Hux knew perfectly well that she was ready to do anything to get what she wanted.  
"I silenced Cardinal" she called out. "And I intend to silence her too!" "  
He didn't have time to answer anything that already the iron giant was continuing on its way.

Leaving Hux alone faced with his dilemma.


	8. Chapter 8 : For all of my past

Enael had returned to the Donnagher with her head about to explode.  
It was hard to put words into everything she was feeling at the moment. Was she afraid? Was she euphoric? Everything was mixed up too much for her to distinguish the ingredients of her state of mind.

She now had to report to Pryde. This old man whom she had not yet had the opportunity to meet too much seemed very intransigent and dry. Could she trust him? His seniority and his affiliation with the old empire made him one of the most respected figures of the order, but also of the most feared. What could happen if she failed in this mission?

In addition, somes things escaped her already, particulary the fact that she was designated for such a task. Why her and not another officer? Pryde's justification made sense but seemed insufficient to her, yet he seemed to believe in her success.  
At least he gave the impression.  
Was it a test to assess her skills? She didn't know too much ...

After reading the files handed over by General Pryde, Enael had summoned her command post. If she was the admiral, she easily recognized that her lack of experience and knowledge of the “little stories” of the Order risked damaging her. Also, she never hesitated to summon her trusted men, counting on their attentive ears and their excellent memories to guide her in the mists of her reflections.

Perhaps that was why she had quickly won the affection of her men.  
"Admiral" they greeted as they settled down at the table.

Lewis was still in the seat next to hers. She had offered her captain a key role in the management of the Donnagher, a role that seemed almost to be her own. His age, experience and advice had already been of great help to him and Enael did not consider this mission without Lewis's advice.

"As you know, we have been tasked with lifting the veil on the strange disappearance of Captain Cardinal" she said as a first approach. She saw the table shake, some were discussing among themselves and could not help but a little comment.

“It was my instructor Madam! One of the people sitting at the table said, a young woman, obviously fresh out of school. "I, I can't believe something could have happened to him." "  
“What do you mean soldier? "  
"Well, the youngest of this table will agree in saying ... that Cardinal had very few enemies. We all respected him. "

Lewis nodded.

“Cardinal was in charge of the first stage of training our soldiers, I heard he was an excellent instructor.  
\- The best, certainly sir. Replied the young girl. "No offense to Captain Phasma, who is also very competent!" She hastened to add. While the others nodded and quickly confirmed what the soldier said.  
Enael had already noted some information in her notebook, she had withdrawn to capture what she could of the hubbub in the room. Cardinal seemed appreciated by his students, once their training with him was completed, they proceeded to the second and final level of training, the one assigned to Captain Phasma.

“It seems obvious to me that we have to start at the source. Lewis hissed. “If we want to know what could have happened, we have to go to the unknown regions and interview the cadets who were in training with him. "

Enael froze, the idea of going to unknown regions did not please her, returning to her place of training was the worst pilgrimage she could have considered.

"What do you think Admiral? "

What she was really thinking was that she would have preferred to send anyone but herself, but she had no choice. She nodded as she continued to take notes.

"Sergeant, please send a message to the unknown lands, tell them that we are arriving in connection with the Cardinal affair and that I wish to meet the directors of the academy." Break up soldiers. "

Everyone left the room in a hurry, while she remained there, seated next to Lewis.  
"You seem very nervous, Ma’ame. He slipped softly as she was still hunched over her notebook. The admiral did not get up. Of course she was nervous and the thought of going back there hadn't helped matters. She had a hunch that this case was going to lead her into something much more complex.  
"No Captain, everything is fine," she replied in a tone much drier than she would have liked. Lewis also left and she was alone with his concerns.

Nothing seemed to have changed here. She thought as she walked through the long, cold halls of the academy. They had arrived a few minutes before and were quickly greeted by a cadet. And as they made their way to the commander's office, Enael went about his mind, watching the younger ones running down the hall here and there. All dressed the same, in that uniform she had hated so much.  
When she had the first opportunity to leave the academy, she had taken it without any hesitation, preferring to work in a baggage hold than to continue living what she was going through there.

"But what do I see? A hollow voice called out. The man at the command desk hadn't even looked up when they entered the office.

“Admiral Spencer! He said clearly mockingly, almost looking pathetic. "Well the First Order is really full of surprises ...  
-Commanding officer. She just answered dryly, without even lowering her eyes. “I would like to interview the cadets who were previously under Cardinal's tutorship. "  
The man looked up at her, his gaze a mixture of contempt and aversion.

Lewis could sense how this man seemed to not stand her. Had she really been such a bad student? In any case, he seemed to have a hard time with the idea that she occupies an important position within the army.  
"I did hear that you were in charge of this investigation ..." he began in an almost sweet voice. "And at first I honestly thought that my friend Enric was playing a joke on me. But there you are, asking me to see the cadets… ”he continued. "So I really would have seen everything ... And you intend to carry out your mission in the same way as your studies? "  
If she had listened to herself, she probably would have slapped him and told him that at least she had risen to a rank he had never achieved in her forty-year career. But she took her status into account and knew that at the slightest mistake, everything could turn against her.  
“Commander, I don't know if you understood correctly, but the Admiral ordered you to introduce the cadets to us.” Lewis's voice rose quietly behind her. If she had had to hold back her words, her captain seemed to have nothing to do with the protocols and had not hesitated to remind the captain where he belonged.

Stung to the quick, the captain glared at Lewis, who seemed satisfied to have hit the mark. "Go to the training room, then they'll be waiting for you!" ". He waved at them to ask them to leave his office and without a word they did so.

Lewis had no idea why he had intervened at this point. He knew she probably would have been able to answer and sort this out on her own. But a strange feeling seized him. Listening to such contempt for the young woman from someone's mouth, the old man realized that in truth everything that had been said about his superior was far from the truth. That if indeed, she carried Tarkin genes in her blood, it had not offered her any advantages and even less support.  
Because in truth, no one had ever supported her.  
And that she had always been very lonely.

“Cadets! Said the stern voice of an instructor who reasoned around the room. “This is Admiral Spencer and Captain Lewis! Both came here in connection with the disappearance of Commander Cardinal. I order you to do what you are trained to do and to provide as much information as possible to complete this mission. "

She looked at them all there, assembled in line and at attention. From a distance, they all looked alike. How old were they? Barely eighteen for some, others a little older and others much younger still. Boys and girls who had come from all over the galaxy and had ended up there, just like her a few years earlier. Where did they come from? What had they been through to get here?

These weren't the questions she had to ask.  
"They look like robots," Lewis whispered to his attention as the icy breeze swept through the assembly yard. Her voice trembled slightly from the cold that penetrated her uniform.

Yes indeed, often they ended up becoming. The instructors made sure that as soon as they arrived they were formatted for the task they were predestined. We radically transformed them, we tested them to their limits, to see ...

See what they were capable of.

Thus had begun the interrogations, Enael had contented herself to go to the point and had asked everyone what he knew about Cardinal, how he managed his work and especially what he thought of him. All were unanimous: the commander had nothing to reproach himself with. They saw in the eyes of each cadet a boundless admiration for this strange man. Everyone seemed to say he had a sense of justice and honor that no First Order officer could match.

"And then, you know Admiral, he was very affected by the loss of his mentor, General Hux."

She looked up from her notebook, this young boy in front of her seemed to have hit the mark.

-The ... General ... Hux? He repeated dubiously. She found it hard to understand how the general she knew could be anyone's mentor.  
“Not that one, Admiral.” He continued almost amused. “But his father, General Brendol Hux. "  
"Gosh ..." she thought. Was it possible that she was started on a business without suddenly Hux or his siblings getting involved?

" When was it ? She called out in a monotonous voice.  
“About 9 years ago, ma'am. I was still very young at the time, but I saw in the commander's eyes that something was wrong even before we were told of General Hux's death.  
\- Did he die in combat?  
\- He died of an illness, Madame. Lewis had intervened, seeing the ignorance in the young man's eyes. He seemed to want to cut the conversation short and avoid other possible questions.

Enael suddenly felt apprehension take his guts. Did the death of Brendol Hux spark what was happening today? And why did she feel like Lewis seemed to doubt her own words?

"Thank you cadet, we are done. The young man gave them a respectful bow before leaving.  
She was exhausted, also feeling completely empty, like nothing seemed to want to go the way she wanted. She had come here with sheer feet hoping to find the key to her investigation and she felt she had stalled. The cup she had placed on the steaming table had cooled completely without her having been able to drink a drop of its contents. The weather with parade and yet, she could not detect anything.  
It was a bitter failure.

“Something is wrong, Lewis. She moistened her lips in her chilled teacup. It tasted strange when it was cold, but she wasn't sure whether or not she liked the difference.  
"Your tea is cold, Ma’ame, is that what you want to talk to me about?" "  
Too preoccupied to take up the joke, the admiral continued. “They all seemed very sincere, but a few strange things happened tonight. Didn't you have the impression that their speeches all matched?  
\- Isn't that the Admiral truth? The fact that everyone repeats it as it is? "

Lewis was right after all, the raw truth could not be changed, it was an indisputable fact and anyone could recognize it. But she didn't believe in the sincere truth, in her eyes, the human had never been able to.  
“Ask two soldiers to tell a battle, they will both do it in a different way. One of them preferred to talk about the strategic aspect, the other on the other hand will be content with the battle as such. One of them is lying? Of course not, but they omit details. But here, all approached the subject from the same Lewis angle, the same angle.  
\- How is this a problem?  
\- The choice to approach the subject from one point of view or another depends on our personality, our way of living things ...  
-... And you get the impression that there is none of that in what you heard. "  
Lewis could not sum it up better.

“Exactly!  
\- Aren't you a little paranoid? "

She ? Maybe a little indeed, it was hard not to sink into suspicion after all she had been through to survive. All the more so since the events of the last few hours were turning her brain in all directions and she had the feeling that she had lowered her arms with Hux far too quickly for her liking.

“I don't feel like some people really told me how they had experienced things.  
\- I think it's late, we will be home tomorrow and you can write your first investigation report, in the meantime it's time to go to sleep. "  
Enael left the interrogation room with a heavy heart, it was difficult for her to conclude a day without really having the word of her worries, she felt like she was in failure. But Lewis was right, the mind clouded with fatigue was not effective and we had to resolve to leave the failure of today behind. And as she crossed the long hallway of the training base, on her way to the take-off platform, a sergeant hastily called her.  
He was running towards them with a piece of paper in hand. Lewis, who was already a few paces away, turned around to join her.

“A message, Admiral, for you.  
\- Who ?  
\- General Pryde! He handed her the paper, greeted her and left immediately.

What could Pryde want with him now? She had informed him of her destination and that she wanted a delay before formulating a first report, why send him such an urgent letter?  
But when she unfolded the paper, she gave Lewis an indescribable look.

"What's going on Admiral?" The captain looked almost as worried as she was.  
"We have to go home immediately. She called in a trembling voice.


	9. 9. A perilous mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little flash-back about Armitage - Archex first meet   
> Spencer and Phasma go on a mission together. The opportunity for Phasma to express her jealousy in her own way.

He jumped

Unknown region, year 8 after Yavin

He thought for a moment that his father was going to grab him by the collar again. That the presence he had felt next to him was going to crush his wrath the moment he opened his eyes. But he was relieved to see that there was nothing more than a red muzzle and two large yellow eyes.

“Millie! He exclaimed. "Are you hungry already?" He tenderly stroked his cat. The only living being with whom he had formed a peaceful bond since arriving here. The little boy might have been surrounded by the most prestigious names of the deceased empire, he was nonetheless in deep solitude.

So many years had passed since their escape from Arkanis and yet the young redhead had seen nothing pass. He immediately began his military training in the strictest discipline. Getting up very early, going to bed very late, when his father had finished checking to see if he had studied enough.

Years, in a golden prison, where nothing was missing.  
Nothing, except what he needed most.

Young Armitage put his feet on the icy floor of his bedroom. Who was lucky enough to sleep in a room today? He thought back to everything he had seen and heard from the ship that had brought him here. The explosions and destruction of Arkanis still haunted him and he would sometimes wake up with a start screaming at his mother.

In vain.

No one ever came to reassure him or take him in their arms. Not a sweet lullaby, not a heartwarming word. So he cried alone, curled up under the sheets.

He started his morning ritual: some kibble for Millicent, then he rushed into the shower, selling off his sleepwear for his military outfit.

Would he still impress his tutors today? He had made the promise. Because if he seemed invisible to his father, many at the academy already seemed to admire the intelligence of young Armitage.

He left his room to go to his place of training, he met many children also ready to do battle. If some were already looking at him with fear, knowing which family he belonged to, others gave him contemptuous looks. But very quickly, all this lost all its interest, since he saw it.

His blood froze.

His father was there, in the study, the door of which was left open. But that wasn't what seemed unusual to him.

He laughed.

Not a cruel laugh, or a vicious laugh no, a straight laugh, that kind of laughter he had never heard in his presence. Armitage was intrigued by what might have made his father laugh like that and walked over to the doorway, to discreetly observe the scene.

This is how he met him for the first time.

There was a young boy there, sitting next to his father, he had short dark black hair, a little darker complexion than his, and hazel eyes that shone brightly. He, too, seemed to be laughing out loud.

Who was it ? Who was this boy?

Armitage couldn't take his eyes off what he was seeing, his father seemed to be looking at the boy with such pride that he almost felt nauseous.  
"Archex, you are really brilliant my boy!" Did you really do what you say? Brendol had launched in an almost fatherly tone.  
“Absolutely! Replied the child confidently. And he saw a hand resting on his raven hair.

This gesture had definitely broken Armitage's heart.

Until this moment, the young redhead was convinced that if his father behaved in this way, it was because he could not help it, that he was like that with everyone. He had hoped that with time, perseverance, and his tremendous progress in studying, one day he would have had just one of those looks. But he only received scornful looks, sour words and a world of indifference.

And this boy was there, this boy he didn't know was getting everything he didn't have.  
Armitage couldn't understand, he didn't want to understand.

"My boy" Brendol said in a honeyed tone "I know you are still very young, but what would you say if I taught you shooting?  
\- Would you do that for me? "

His father nodded, a thin smile on his lips. "You have enormous potential my little one, I really think we will do great things with you. "  
Armitage was so engrossed in what he was seeing that he dropped his notebook, and then it all stopped, his father and the boy looked up at him.

“Oh… it's you! Brendol said contemptuously, almost disappointed.  
" Who is this man ? "  
Armitage looked at the boy, had he never told him about his son?  
"No one, my boy ...."  
Nobody ... repeated Armitage in his thoughts.  
Archex walks towards him, a conciliatory smile on his lips.

“My name is Archex Cardinal! He called out to him, his voice full of energy. "And you, what's your name? "  
Armitage couldn't answer, he couldn't pronounce a single word.  
Nobody he thought  
" You're shy ? You must not ! ", The dark haired child turned to Brendol" He could come shoot with us, right?  
\- Out of the question Archex! He has other things to do! Besides, he's going to leave! He cried, glaring at his son.  
The redhead nodded, picked up his notebook and left without asking for his rest. Holding back the tears that beaded at the edge of his eyes.

\--  
He jumped

Finalizer - Now

There he was, lying on his bed. The events that unfolded seemed to awaken old memories in him.  
Millicent came up to him, asking for food.  
"You have no patience!" He called out to his animal before hugging him. He sat up on his bed and put the Arkanian cat on the ground. This one answered him with a small meow before coming to turn in his legs. Hux put his kibbles in a bowl and ran off to get ready. In his shower, he thought about everything that had happened so far and what Phasma had told him. Was she able to carry out his plans? In truth, he wasn't quite sure what worried him most about Phasma and the fact that Spencer had taken over the Cardinal case.

Could it be that she finds out everything?

Hux was surprised to have this kind of apprehension. He had always dealt with this kind of problem in a radical way and had clearly confessed the truth to Cardinal just before his disappearance. Why did she learn everything made him so ...

Anxious?

He hastened to put on his uniform to go to the command post, the anthill seemed to be moving everywhere and he was surprised to see Pryde and Phasma in the middle of a discussion.

"I always miss the big morning discussions ..." 

He hissed ironically.  
Pryde looked him up and down. This guy had hated him forever, just like his late father with whom he shared a great bond of friendship. Hux was convinced that the old general knew everything, and that he was only waiting for a misstep to bring him down.

He knew that having put Admiral Spencer on this matter, Pryde hoped that she would be the one who, indirectly, allowed him to achieve his ends.

"Phasma has located Cardinal's ship!" Exclaimed Pryde.

Time froze for a moment. Could it be that she failed? May Cardinal still be alive. He gave Phasma a suspicious look.

" Where ?  
\- On Jakku. She snapped. "I'm going to go there, and I'm taking Admiral Spencer with me, she'll be a big help!"  
\- Spencer isn't here anymore, she's ...  
\- We've already fixed this problem, general Hux, ”cut in Pryde.   
“The Donnagher must be back on time. Phasma is right, the technical skills of the Admiral will be essential to her and we must locate this ship at all costs! "

Pryde hastily left, like a hunter having sensed his prey near. Hux meanwhile stayed there, staring suspiciously at Phasma. Wondering what was going on behind her back between these two.

"Did you find Cardinal's ship ?!" Enael exclaimed upon his return.  
“Phasma located it on Jakku. Pryde replied, turning to her data screen. “In all likelihood, he crashed there about three days ago. "  
Lewis watched it all leaning against the back of a command chair. When Enael had read the missive to him a few hours before, he too had felt his blood swirl around. Could it be that this mission is ending as quickly as it started?

“You will accompany Phasma to Jakku. Pryde asked enthusiastically. “The coordinates have already been entered and you are on your way. So don't take too long to prepare. "

Spencer nodded and quit command, Lewis was behind her.  
"I'll take a look at the mission plan, can I ask you to prepare my suit, Lewis?"  
\- Mrs... "  
She paused for a moment.  
"What's going on Lewis?"  
\- You've got me used to this kind of impulsiveness before, but are you really sure you want to go alone with Phasma? "

Her captain was right. She had to admit that her company was not going to be pleasant. Although she knew that they would be accompanied by a technical team, Enael knew that Phasma did not carry her in her heart, at all. However, the Captain remained in her eyes a soldier first and foremost, and she was confident that she would be able to put her grudges aside for the sake of the First Order.  
She nodded, more determined than ever to end this story.

"Do I really have a choice? We may be at the end of this investigation, and once we have the end, i will have nothing to do with Phasma. We will go back to our little routine, as before. She was probably trying to reassure herself more than to convince her right arm.  
"I'll drop your suit in your office when it's ready." Lewis concluded before letting her continue on her own. He couldn't hold back a worried grimace on his face.

By consulting the file, Enael discovered that it was a gang of traffickers stopped by a patrol who had reported the wreckage several hundred kilometers east of the planet. According to the technicians' estimates, they had known, except for a few errors, where it was located and the wreckage was marked with a cross on a plan. But there was nothing to say that anyone had seen the wreckage with their own eyes. The patrol immediately reported the smugglers' announcement, knowing that they had orders not to intervene in this kind of state affair. The smugglers, for their part, had ended up in the grave too quickly to have had time to verify their statements.

Lewis had brought the jumpsuit a few minutes earlier and she was about to go get ready when a tall red figure came and stood outside the door.  
"What do you want general? She called out to Hux, obviously very surprised to be here, she put the combination back on the back of the chair.

“We have to talk! He said in a very unpleasant tone.  
"about what?" Leaving her things there, she returned to settle in the chair on the other side of her desk, Hux stepped forward and settled in without even being invited.  
"Drop this mission, tell Pryde you're giving up!" It's not in your strings. "  
Enael stared at Hux with a look of shock. Who did he think he was to say these things to her?  
"Are you coming to provoke me here?" She said visibly very annoyed.  
"I'm giving you an order, Admiral, maybe it's something you don't know yet?"  
\- I have no orders to receive from you on this mission, General! I answer to Pryde and only him! "

Hux thumped the table, which made Enael jump. He was obviously a lot more nervous and nasty than usual.  
"Well for once you'd better listen to me…" He was looking her straight in the eye and his gaze was determined.  
“Is it a threat? Enael defied his icy gaze. She wondered why suddenly Hux seemed to want to dissuade her from continuing. Then she thought back to what she had heard in the Unknown Regions and the conclusion was clear. He was worried that she would find out something about him ...  
" An advice !” He snapped.

The admiral stood up without even wanting to argue any further, tore the coverall from the back of the chair where Hux was sitting, which made him wince and she walked towards the door.  
"I don't know what you're playing, but I'm sure I'll find out soon!" So I will go on this ship, whatever your threats ... or your advice! "

The journey had been silent.  
Heavily silent.  
The engine vibrations were the only sounds that resonated in the room.  
Enael was very uncomfortable. Behind her helmet, she could not see any emotion on the face of the iron giant. What was she thinking? Was she imagining herself catching Cardinal before her and proudly announcing upon her return that she had succeeded where Enael had failed?

“When we are there, we will have to head east, the place is extremely desert. Phasma suddenly called out. “We will go where the ship would have been detected.  
-What if we can't find it?  
\- It is not possible, Admiral! "

This little bit of conversation hadn't been able to erase the strange worry that was twisting his stomach. But as she was about to return to her thoughts, a huge shock came to shake the carrier ship. Enael had to hang onto the metal bar above her.  
" What is going on ? She called out to the tech team.  
“We hit an obstacle, it was not on the initial trajectory. The main reactor is hit. We're going to have to initiate an emergency landing. Hang on! "  
Phasma looked around, but seemed a lot less worried than her fellow Admiral.

That said, Enael didn't care that moment, she was way too busy hanging on. Closing her eyes to concentrate, she just hoped her motion sickness wasn't playing tricks on her.  
"We're done, we have to stop there" she heard. With her eyes closed, she could only make out the voices and the alarm systems.  
She gripped, and despite the safety, she felt her body rock in all directions under the effect of shock.

They had hit the ground.

For a short moment, Enael thought her trippes were about to come out, but she pulled herself together, inhaling a breath of air.  
" What is the problem ?? »Exclaimed Phasma who had already switched to the technical team.  
“I don't know Commander, it looks like the data is not what was written in the report.  
\- How ?? "Phasma exclaimed, in shock." Is this a hack? "  
\- Well, it is possible, but hard to say at the moment, we have to fix the system before we can send a distress signal to our troops. Until then, we are stuck. "

Phasma turned to the admiral, who was already gradually recovering.  
“We must not, despite everything, be far from our starting point. We're going to go down and have a look. "

Enael had heard the whole conversation. Could it be that the coordinates were hacked? This would explain why they had encountered an obstacle in their path and why they did not seem to have arrived at the right destination. The tech team seemed as helpless as she was. In addition, no means of communication was likely to work anytime soon.  
"Heard" she said, getting up. She checked that she hadn't forgotten anything important and then followed Phasma into the Jakku desert.

“According to my information, we should be located here. Said the iron giant, indicating a point on his holographic card. We will have to cross the dunes, straight ahead, to get to our landmark.  
Enael had wrapped a linen scarf around his hair and face, also covering his eyes with goggles. The desert winds were strong in this part of the planet and it was unthinkable to leave without. Phasma did not have this kind of problem, protected under her stormtrooper helmet, she walked with a determined step in the direction of the sand mountains.

She then turned to the admiral, holding up the holographic card.  
“It is better to remain cautious. She said. Take this, I've got you covered.  
\- And why not the other way around? She called out.  
"You are not used to war, I am!" The iron giant replied dryly. "Walk past, I guess you can read a map anyway ..."  
Spencer grabbed the hologram, giving Phasma a contemptuous look. What did she know? Did she think her inexperience in the military was enough to say she lacked experience?  
The war she had already experienced.  
And very closely.

But while it had been an hour since they had walked, the duo had begun their crossing of the dunes, Spencer was captivated by the light point flashing on the hologram. Almost forgetting to look ahead, when a thick wall of sand rose up.  
"We should take a ..."  
She didn't finish her sentence, something suddenly made her wince.

She felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck, as well as the coldness of the cannon through the linen of her veil and her hair.


	10. Chapter 10 : It's all your fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped by Captain Phasma. Spencer then finds herself trapped with her in a rebel base. All hope seems vain when she discovers a strange object in her pocket.

*Shit ! * She thought very hard. * how could you be so dumb, Spencer? *  
She hadn't seen the blow coming. After all, they were both in the same boat. At least she thought so. How she also thought that Phasma would put her grudges aside.  
"Shoot if that can help you." She said in a rather confident voice.  
"You hacked the system, didn't you?" She exclaimed. Enael wanted to turn around, but feared that a simple sudden gesture would automatically blow her brains out.  
"What's your problem Phasma?" Why would I have done such a thing? She called out to her. Why was the iron giant suddenly trying to make her wear the hat?  
“Silence! The coordinates were correct when I entered them Spencer! So tell the truth! You hacked the system so we couldn't find the ship. So you could continue your little investigation in peace and put it aside! "  
Obviously she hadn't done that. She knew it, but Phasma seemed very difficult to convince.  
“The truth is, I had absolutely nothing to do with it! She said stung to the quick. "Stop aiming at me it makes me nervous!"  
\- I do not care at all ! "

"You better drop your dreadful weapon!" "

Another voice had just come out of the dunes. Enael glanced all around her without turning her head. Masked figures appeared here and there in the dunes.

Rebels.

Fifteen seconds ago, Enael had wondered how the situation could have been worse.  
She now knew the answer.

Whereas they had been trapped and taken on board by the rebels. Enael took advantage of the trip to gauge the catastrophic situation she had gotten herself into. First, she now knew Phasma was a threat, but given the situation, she was going to have to put that aside for now. Even though the iron giant wouldn't miss the opportunity to pick up where she left off, she knew she still had some time ahead.  
Why was Phasma so convinced that she was responsible for hacking the system? Was she trying to get rid of her on purpose? But for what purpose?

Why hate her so much that you want to kill her? Jealousy? Fear? It was too early to know.  
Especially since she felt a look on her for far too long. A rebel sitting next to her was at the origin and it pissed her off more and more.

“My photo maybe? She called provocatively.  
"Hey sweetie, is that how you thank your saviors?" We wouldn't have been there, tin can would have blown your brains out already. "

She didn't say anything, just glaring at him. The transport stopped and they seemed to have arrived at a makeshift base, set up in old dwellings in the desert.

"Put the junkyard in the most secure cell." One of the men said as Phasma was already walking away. "As for her, we put her in the hole too, we will question her to clarify some details and maybe she will be saved. "

Enael was taken aback. Why was she entitled to special treatment? She thought she would end up in a cell next to Steelhead, but the rebels seemed to want to release her. As she tried to understand, she saw her reflection in a piece of broken glass, still attached to the wall. Nothing on her betrayed her real identity. She was not wearing a First Order uniform and the rebels obviously hadn't yet suspected that she too was a member of the First Order, that on the contrary, the situation she had found herself in seemed to work in her favor. But if it gave her any respite, she remained in danger and had to act.  
Quick.

How long did she have to put a plan in place? What was she going to tell them? How long would her cover last? No doubt she would end up being unmasked at one point or another. Even though she seemed to have a few moments of peace, Enael knew she had to flee ... But flee to go where?  
Without a tracer, she could not call anyone, she was alone and this greatly distressed her. Looking around through the bars of her cell, she saw that the small group of rebels must have been limited to only about thirty members, all very different. But obviously since their arrival they had decided to secure the location in order to avoid escape. It is therefore difficult to be able to escape easily without outside help.  
It promised to be complex to say the least.

She hated herself. How could she have been stupid to the point of imagining that this mission would go well? If Lewis suspected her of being paranoid, she knew he'd been wrong all along. The admiral had the impression that a trap had been set for her and that she had run headlong into her and her impulsiveness. Had she wanted to once again give Phasma a chance and believe that her lack of sympathy was only from her armor? Did she just want to contradict Hux? One thing was certain, she had made the wrong decision and now found herself stuck on Jakku, in the hands of the rebels.

She also knew that, if she had the chance, Phasma would let her die here, in this rat hole.  
Disappointed with herself, she settled in a corner of her cell, alone, brooding over the situation and her mistakes. Maybe in the end, all her detractors were right: was she worthy of the title she had been granted? Worthy of advice from Lewis or his soldiers? Worthy of the First Order?  
Worthy of General Hux?  
Of course not. She thought.

As she curled up against the wall, she reflexively slipped her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit, hidden under her blanket tunic.

Her heart then jumped in her chest.

She felt in the right pocket, hidden under her tunic, a rectangular and compact object. It was extremely thin and light, impossible to feel it or even detect it in a dig. She waved her hand several times in her pocket. No doubt, the object was there. It was not the fruit of his delirious imagination. Then his hand tightened its grip on its grip and pulled it out of his pocket. His blood only swirled around when his palm exposed the sesame.

A shiver of enthusiasm crossed his back. She wanted to scream with joy but fell silent.  
It was a plotter and it was there in her hand.

“Damn it! She breathed. “Lewis, you're a genius! "  
But as she rejoiced at her find, noises coming in her direction echoed in the hallways. Panicking, Spencer quickly pressed the button before slipping the item back into his pocket, hastily reattaching the buttons on his suit.  
" It's time. Said a rebel. " Come with me. "

\------------

"Install her here!" Said what appeared to be the leader of that team. The other two put her on the chair and left immediately. Although the rebels seemed not to be overly suspicious of her, her hands had been tied with ropes and she still had no access to her weapons.  
He sat down in front of her and studied her in detail. If this man was probably ten years older than her, his already graying hair made him look a lot older. Here and there he had small gashes hidden under a three-day-old beard, which accentuated the hardness of his features. His brown eyes were as dark as the look that shot him.

"You were lucky girl, a few minutes or so you were forgotten forever in the dunes of Jakku. "  
Enael didn't answer, without lowering his gaze. She was waiting for him to continue the interrogation. If the opportunity presented itself, she would take the opportunity to find out what had been bothering her since what had happened.

" What's your name ?  
\- Eurydice. She lied, using her godmother's first name. Today she was going to do her honor. She had to give information in small quantities, save time and know what she wanted had become her only goals.  
"And do you have a last name?"  
\- Ferguson. She had managed to invent.  
"Are you telling me nothing, are you from the area?"  
\- I don't really know where I'm from. She called out.  
"What were you doing with a steel head?" "  
She shrugged her shoulders.  
“We had a little different. She began.  
"Would that explain the fact that you had a hologram and a First Order weapon on you?" "  
She had considered him asking her the question, but the solution she found at the time.  
“I wanted to take one memories or the other from her, but she didn't like it too much. She chased me this far, I was trapped and she took aim at me. She said casually.  
" I see. And ... What were you doing in the area? Eurydice… ”he told her.  
"Did you look at me well? She called out in a tone that sounded like she was sure of herself. She was surprised that he wasn't looking to locate Phasma's ship, but he was probably going to look directly at the source. "I'm dealing with parts, and I've heard a ... fascinating story."  
\- What kind of story? You interest me.  
\- Heard a First Order ship crashed in the east, about three miles from where your guys caught me. The kind of interesting ship since it seems to be an officer's ship. I was looking for him when I came across a steel head. "  
The rebel looked surprised. "East of here you say? Five kilometers? "  
She nodded. “Yes, I was told in a tavern that I just had to cross the dunes and I would be there. "  
The man sneered.

"Girl, in my opinion we made you a dirty joke, or the guy who told you that, was drunk!" He started. “We have been here for almost a month, we travel the area for nearly twenty kilometers around. If your ship had fallen where you tell us, we would have spotted it a long time ago! "  
Enael swallowed. She had the answers to her doubts.

* The bitch * she thought.

“Hey, don't worry little girl. If your business is not very lucrative you can always join us right? "  
She looked up at the man. If she had heard what she wanted to know and this interrogation had lost all its appeal by then, she winced at the rebel's proposal.  
" What are you talking about ?  
\- You can join the rebellion. People like you who know about mechanics, we need them for our ships, and then you're pretty smart.  
\- No thanks !" she said in an unpleasant tone.  
"Oh ... So you're not interested in freeing the world from the tyranny of the First Order?"  
\- I beg your pardon ? She said softly.  
"You might feel like we have different interests, but trust me, there are plenty of people like you in our ranks. We are all ready to defend the interests of the Republic and its values.  
\- Values ?! Her voice was starting to shake. How dare this guy talk to her about the rebellion in such heroic terms? She tried to turn her tongue as best she could in her mouth so as not to crack, she did the same with her wrists moving discreetly back and forth to gently loosen the strings.  
"Are you not happy to live in a free world?" And in peace? The First Order is screwing it all up, installing a tyranny akin to that of its Imperial ancestors. These bastards don't care about freedom!  
\- You talk to me about freedom, you asshole? " It was too much. She couldn't contain her anger.

"Do you at least know why they exist? She continues briskly, feeling her body shake in the anger. When she was like that, she knew that she was getting out of control and that without having much physical strength, she had the strength of words.  
“I will tell you. Maybe you weren't there when your old friends, who advocated the values of freedom, were shooting people who had only one fault to live under an imperial banner. You might not have seen their brains squirting on the walls as guys like you giggled. You lost no one under the bullets of those who carried the banners of the Republic. And you give me freedom? She paused briefly, not even giving her jailer time to respond. She felt that the bonds of her hands were loosening little by little.

"Talk about the First Order, but it's all because of you!" If we exist, it's your fault! The guys you take for your models created the First Order with their filthy deeds! We are the result of your cruelty. Your predecessors drowned my generation in the blood they shed in the name of your so-called freedom!  
\- You are one of them !! bit... "  
He didn't have time to finish his sentence when the admiral tipped the table over on him. She stepped over and grabbed him by the collar before grabbing her gun. The other rebel who was waiting outside arrived and she aimed at her jailer.

"This bitch is one of them!"  
\- You shut up or I'll shoot you. "

She glanced at the man who threatened her with his gun.  
“We will quickly calm down. I offer you a deal! You are going to free my friend, we shake hands and we leave without fuss, is it okay?  
\- Do you think you are in a position to negotiate? The soldier called out to him. "You're all alone in front of an entire base, you won't even have time to touch the trigger of your weapon that you will already be dead!" "

The lights turned red and the alarms suddenly sounded.  
“Alert! First Order ships in sight! Evacuation! One of them yelled outside. Enael took advantage of the moment of inattention to shoot the soldier's armed arm to drop his weapon and she also shot her hostage in the leg.  
Stepping over the man, she grabbed the second weapon and searched his pockets.  
"I'm borrowing this from you!" She exclaimed, showing him the bunch of keys. "Think about your ideals and come see me again!" She called out to him before leaving the room.

Even though she was dying to let Phasma rot here, she knew she never wanted to fall as low as this woman. Not to mention that she should be held to account for the disappearance of an element so crucial to the First Order. She put common interests and her honor before her desire for revenge when she opened the door to the captain's cell.  
Without a word, Phasma stood up and walked past her.  
" Reinforcements ? How is it possible ? Our ship certainly hasn't made the repairs yet.  
\- Oh, a very long story. That I would have gladly explained to you if you had not aimed a gun at the back of my neck! Just know that on the Donnagher we're kind of ... suspicious. "

When they left the base, the rebels had already finished deserting the area, given their numerical inferiority. Spencer enjoyed watching the transporter land to retrieve them.  
"Soldier, have you picked up the ground crews?" "  
The man nodded.  
"Affirmative Admiral, the only thing missing was you." "  
They boarded the transporter and Enael was relieved to learn that this mission was finally over.

Back on the Donnagher, Enael and Phasma were expected for the report. Lewis was standing at the command post when they arrived and Phasma hurriedly rushed towards him.  
"Captain Lewis" she began. “I regret to report that Admiral Spencer betrayed you. "  
He raised his eyebrows, his arms behind his back, as if to mark his amazement.  
"Really commander?" "

Enael couldn't believe it. No sooner had she taken the captain out of her prison than she already wanted to stab her in the back. What was she looking for lying so openly? Court martial for her? Enael glanced at Lewis. He seemed attentive to what she was saying.  
“The encoded data was not the right one, our ship crashed almost three miles from the intended location after hitting an unidentified object. She called out. “According to my analysis, only Admiral Spencer can have access to the data encoding. And I sincerely believe that the success of this mission was not her objective. A thorough investigation will tell what she was really looking for. "  
Lewis stood there for a moment, scrutinizing the captain before speaking.

“With all due respect, I think my tech team don't have the same conclusions as you, captain.  
\- Really ? She said disdainfully. “So what does your technical team say? She said sarcastically.  
“Sergeant Fra'en will be much better able to explain to you. Lewis said, turning around towards the command post.  
The boy with the round glasses rose from his command post.

“According to our analyzes. There is no sign of hacking or changing the coordinates after your settings, Captain Phasma. We have twisted the code all over the place, it's categorical. It is the first person who encoded the data who entered the wrong ones. "  
Phasma hadn't thought about this flaw, if you could quickly prove that there was no hack, it was more difficult to know who had encoded the data. She had forgotten that the Donnagher was home to some very good scientists and engineers.  
“In all likelihood, it is rather you who entered the wrong coordinates. Lewis said in a languid, almost triumphant voice.  
There was a brief silence.

“I think Captain Phasma made a mistake. Enael hissed to break the discomfort. Advancing slowly towards them.  
" Sorry ? Lewis said, very surprised.  
“Yes, for my part nobody has anything to do with it. Since there are no traces of hacking, I just think that the captain relied on a bad technical team and therefore the coordinates were not correct. ”

She walked over to the commander, looking her straight in the eye with a triumphant look.  
"It would be completely crazy to imagine that the great Commander Phasma could have orchestrated a bogus mission with the aim of assassinating one of his fellows ... One would have to be ... Completely paranoid. She breathed.  
Phasma glared at him.

“Beware of appearances Spencer. By dancing with the flames, you will end up burning yourself! ”  
Is this a threat or a warning? The admiral was puzzled as she saw the iron giant hurry away. What had she meant? Why use these terms?

"Do you really mean what you told her?" "  
She jumped, Lewis had already moved to her side. She was happy to find her ship and her soldiers. Finally, she felt safe, finding reassuring faces. Yet she did not want to share her certainties with Lewis. At least not now, for lack of evidence. She would wait for the right moment.

" Who knows ? »She finally answered.  
"Could it be jealousy?" "

The admiral thinks. She would be surprised to learn that she aroused any kind of jealousy in Phasma. Although she seemed to take a dim view of her discussion with Hux, she wasn't thinking of a possible rivalry.

"She seems to be afraid of something, but it's very difficult to say ...  
\- What ?  
\- A secret that she definitely doesn't want to be discovered.  
\- Do you think it has anything to do with Lieutenant Cardinal? "

The Admiral did not answer for a moment.

"I'll find out eventually anyway." »She called out to her captain. "Let's join the Finalizer ... I have a report of the utmost importance ..."

Lewis looked at her surprised. Why go back to the Finalizer now? Still, she seemed more determined than ever.


	11. 11. All is lie

And if finally  
The life I imagined  
Everything that felt real to me  
Was it all lies?

Arkanis - year 0

She had arrived on Arkanis a few weeks ago. And since then she kept going in circles.  
Her place was not here, her place was with them up there. With the empire when it needed her.  
But she wasn't able to fight, not yet.

The dark-haired young woman gently touched her presented belly felt a kick against her skin. It had been some time since the child had started to manifest and she had become aware of her condition. Before, the idea that she was pregnant was beyond her, except for a few nausea she had seen nothing different. But for some time now, her stomach had rounded and she was beginning to perceive this life that she harbored. She would have liked to continue the fight, but all around her had seen fit to save herself for herself and for the unborn child. So she had joined Arkanis Academy as a cadet education aid.  
She had known more than a month ago that he was reserving a little girl. Erwin, her husband, had cried all the tears of his body. She understood at that moment that even if he said not to worry about sex, the idea of having a girl taken filled with happiness.  
As for her father, even though it was difficult to know what he was feeling, she had read in his eyes a touch of emotion observed had taught her so.  
Eleanor Tarkin had ended up leaving her desk to walk a little, the sitting position weighed on her and she didn't like sitting still. She wondered if she would find, as she wandered the corridors, a living soul who would agree to discuss with her. Because since his arrival here, loneliness weighed on him. Not that the academy was deserted, on the contrary, it was a noisy anthill until curfew ... But she didn't share much with them.

And even less with the one who ran this academy.

She knew Brendol Hux through the army. As a soldier, this guy was a coward who got his stripes by murdering those who were much better than him. Eleanor had no proof of what she was claiming, but she could only see this reason that such a rotten and infamous guy as him could have found a place here.

She also knew him as a man, when he had married one of her friends.  
Maratelle and she had known each other very young. She was a dynamic and intelligent young woman. The kind of company that meant a lot to young Tarkin. But when she fell in love with this demonic redhead, Eleanor immediately sensed that something was wrong.  
She quickly got confirmation.  
If at the beginning of their marriage, she still allowed herself a few unexpected visits, Maratelle had quickly put a stop to her when she had worried about her the first time. Her friend had finally confessed to her that her sadness had come from her sterility. The thought of never having a child had made her extremely unhappy. In any case, that was what she had told him, hiding her arms and her neck that day.  
But Eleanor wasn't fooled, she knew. She knew that, as often, Brendol had been particularly rude with her.  
Years had passed since then, and she hoped that her arrival in Arkanis would allow her to see this old lost friend again.  
But she didn't expect to find her again under such circumstances.  
As she continued her evening walk, Eleanor had heard strange muffled noises coming from a door leading outside. Intrigued, she stalked forward and looked discreetly.

Maratelle?  
The young woman was there, leaning on the edge of the balustrade. Was it really Maratelle? Eleanor doubted it so much her friend was only a shadow of the one she had known. Thin, her body seemed to have endured all the trials of life and her beauty had become almost ghostly.

"Eleanor, is that you?" "  
She nodded, walking over to her friend. How many years had they not seen each other? However, she seemed to have recognized it immediately. How sad to find his friend in the same circumstances as when she left him.  
Alone and weeping.  
Eleanor walked over and took a seat next to him.  
"What did he do this time?" She threw at him without taking the tweezers.  
She gave the young brunette a look clouded with tears. Eleanor shivered, where was the life in that look? There was no more joy, no more hope. Just a deep sadness.  
"I know ... that I wasn't there, Maratelle. She breathed. "But duty had called me elsewhere and ..."  
Without a word, Maratelle seized her wrist and dragged her with her. Eleanor didn't protest, she knew her friend needed her today. What did it matter the years that separated them from their last meeting? Today, she was the only friend she had met on her way. She led him into his rooms, then stopped dead in front of a closed door and pointed at it.

Eleanor thought she heard crying through the door, she gave a worried look, but Maratelle couldn't even look at her, continuing to reach into the room. The young woman took her courage in both hands. Who was behind that door? What could Brendol have done to put his wife in this state? She feared the worst.  
But what she saw broke her heart forever.

There was a makeshift bed there, with a baby on it.

She walked over to him, looking worried and looked at him. The infant was barely a month old, maybe two, but he was screaming so loudly that she almost had her eardrums pierced. Was that how her daughter would cry too? But Tarkin quickly dismissed the idea, his child was not there yet, but this little boy came out of nowhere and needed help.

It was then that she understood.

This child was Brendol's.  
This bastard had therefore arranged differently to have an heir.

Eleanor felt her disgust for this man rise to the edge of her lips. Wasn't it enough for him to make the people around him suffer? Why did he have to give birth to this little being on whom he will also cast his wrath?  
But when she laid eyes on this red-haired boy again, a strange sweetness enveloped her, a feeling she had never felt before. Was it because she too was going to become a mother?  
"Well, my good man, you look very angry to me. She said softly. And she risked taking him in her arms. How could such an abject being as Brendol beget such a beautiful child?  
“Come on, come close to me. Shhhhh, ”she breathed softly, kissing him on the forehead. "Do you want me to sing a little song?" "  
As she began to hum, she began to walk slowly around the room, gently rocking the child.

"When darkness falls and surrounds you.  
When you fall.  
When you're scared and you're lost  
Be brave... "

And she continued her song until the child fell asleep peacefully in the hollow of her arms. Only then did Eleanor return to the room alongside Maratelle who seemed to have been able to contain her sobs.  
“We came here two hours ago. She breathed. Trembling.  
" Who ? Eleanor had settled down next to her, carrying the sleeping child in her arms.  
"A kitchen woman!" She hissed. "A vulgar slave!" She said ... she said her friend gave birth to this boy and he was from ... Brendol. She also told me that this woman was dead now and ... that he had to take care of her. "  
Eleanor didn't say anything, how could that be possible? She put herself in her friend's shoes and wondered how she could have reacted in this situation.  
But she was quite incapable of being able to imagine it.  
* We can dream of a better start in life, man. * she thought very hard, looking at the little being she was carrying in her arms.  
"I can't even look at him Eleanor!" You realize ? I ... I ...  
\- Do not say anything. She breathed. " Do not say anything... "  
For a moment the two women were silent.  
"You're going to be a mom, aren't you?" »Murmured Maratelle. "How long will he be here?"  
\- Four months. He replied. “It will be a little girl.  
\- What will she be called? "  
Eleanor smiles. The first name of this child had no doubt in their eyes.  
“Enael. It was hard not to feel the softness in Eleanor's voice. "And he has a first name?" "  
Maratelle looked at the ground, still unable to look at the child in her friend's arms.  
“She told me his name was Armitage. Maratelle called out in a dry voice.  
"Armitage…" Eleanor paused briefly. “Here is a first name which is not common. But very pretty despite everything ... "

Seeing him asleep brought him some peace. This poor little boy might not have it easy, but looking at him like that, she told herself that at least then he was peaceful.  
"What would you do in my place Eleanor?" You have always been very frank. Would I be a freak if I couldn't love this baby? "  
Eleanor didn't know what to say right away. How to put yourself in his place? How not to love such a beautiful little baby? But on the one hand, how to love this child born of adultery when you are the betrayed woman? It's so hard for her to know what to do ...  
"I ... I don't know Maratelle ... I mean, you're the only one who knows what to do, what's good for you." Who am I to judge you? Just do what feels right to you. "  
But as Maratelle was about to answer him, a dismal voice arose behind them.

“Put down the kid, Tarkin. Eleanor recognized that voice among a thousand and it made her blood run cold. She got up and turned to see Brendol Hux in the doorway.  
She held the baby firmly in her arms, as a protective reflex.  
"I calmed your son's crying, Hux, and is that how you greet me?" She said almost insolently.  
"What are you meddling with, cheeky little girl, you have nothing to do here!" He cried.  
"I wouldn't be here if I hadn't seen your wife and ... child suffering because of you!"  
\- It's not your business ! He hissed. "Do you want me to make you understand otherwise?"  
\- Just try! »She exclaimed without fearing him. "What do you plan to do with this kid?"  
"Absolutely everything I want ..." he hissed. “If I want, I can even send him to join his mother. "  
Eleanor flinched. Could it be that he was the cause of this woman's death?  
"You better put him down now Tarkin, because if you don't, he's the one I'm killing." "  
Anger was building in her, this guy was a rot. Failing to reach her, fearing the reprisals of the great Moff, he preferred to sacrifice his son than to bow to a woman.  
She did so. Putting the child in the arms of Maratelle, who was totally helpless and helpless.  
“Now you get out. I have a family business to deal with… ”he said contemptuously. Eleanor held her gaze and, coming up to her, stopped dead.

"I wish, Hux, that one day you will receive what you have always deserved!" "

And it was with these words and giving Maratelle a last look that she left the room.

It was the last time she saw her friend.

\---

Donnagher - Today

The Donnagher had reached the base safely. During the whole trip, Enael had not stopped ruminating over everything that had happened. On the one hand, she had even feared finding herself alone again with Phasma. Fear she seemed to share with Lewis, who kept probing the iron giant suspiciously.  
The admiral had paced up and down. Nothing could change his mind. She knew she would never get there until she said what she had to say.

As long as she didn't know everything.

As she arrived at the base, she saw General Hux in the distance and saw only him, but as the admiral pointed like an arrow towards the redhead, she had not yet noticed an obstacle s was already standing in front of her.

"On the report ladies ..." Pryde hissed with a stern look.  
“We had a breakdown, general. It seems that there were errors in the encoding of the coordinates. " began Phasma who had leveled herself. “Despite my advice, Admiral Spencer wanted to continue on foot. Enael was fuming, but she didn't know if it was Phasma's huge lies or Hux's arrival and his smirk that was the cause. Maybe it was even both at the same time.

“We were ... caught by rebels. Spencer began.  
"Rebels ??? "Pryde said offended." But better and better Admiral. Did we forget to tell you that this mission had to be discreet !?  
"And Commander Phasma has ..." she wanted to begin, but Pryde didn't give her the chance.  
“Silence! You have already said enough. Continue Phasma. "  
The iron giant nodded.  
“We got away with the intervention of Donnagher.  
\- What about the ship? "

Enael resumed.  
“It seems there never was one general, we never found it anyway.  
\- Would you understand that our sources lied? He hissed contemptuously for the young woman's attention.  
"Them ... or someone else, sir ..." she said sarcastically.  
“Anyway, I understand that this mission is a failure! Should I threaten you with sanction or report to the supreme leader to stimulate you? "  
Neither of them answered. Enael nodded negatively.  
“So break up! And I want results fast! "

Pryde disappeared. Enael glanced sideways at Phasma, who was scrutinizing her from behind her helmet. His eyes followed the iron armor that gradually receded to return to his post. Like two animals that had just been separated after a fight, neither looked away until the other had disappeared from view.  
And when it did, his big blue eyes went to rest on General Hux's silhouette.  
"You seem a little ... nervous, Admiral." "  
She didn't answer right away, hesitating for a moment to slap him.

" Oh ? Really ? I'm nervous ? Maybe it's because of your presence and your condescending look towards me ... Or maybe it's because your stainless steel girlfriend wanted to shoot me! "

Hux was disappointed, had Phasma really dared to do such a thing? He saw in the admiral's gaze that there was no doubt about the veracity of his words.

"I think Captain Phasma may be a little ... tense with this story and ...  
\- Don't play five lines on me, do you think I haven't seen you and her doing little ditching? "  
Hux looked at her offended. But didn't answer. What was this little admiral still imagining?

"Something's going on, and I think you and she don't want me to know that." Do you want me to tell you my opinion? I believe it is linked to the Cardinal affair, and that you are linked to it as well. And that the fact that I'm going to stir up your little affairs bothers you. I think if I was no longer there it would have suited you as well as she did. "

Hux glared at her. Enael couldn't tell if it was because she had hit the nail on the head or the reverse. She saw the face of the redhead approaching her and was seized with a shiver.

"I'll tell you one thing .... I don't care what you think, Admiral!" He snapped at her. Hux was upset, but he didn't let it show. She was totally unbearable, she and her great airs, she thought she knew everything when in reality it was the opposite. And as he walked away, he told himself he was wrong all along.

" Perfect ! She hissed, spinning around. Very annoyed by this conversation, she decided to join her ship without further delay. Her hierarchical superiors having already piss her off.

Donnagher a few days later

They had not spoken to each other since this altercation.  
This silence comforted Enael in her certainties: Hux and Phasma had indeed plotted together and it annoyed her not to know the reason. She had the feeling that the solution was there, in front of her eyes, but she was unable to grasp it.

And the idea that Hux might have confidences with this junk captain heightened her annoyance. For a brief moment, Enael no longer thought about what they had been up to, but just what could happen when they both were.

But the idea was banished from her mind in a split second. And she left him no room.  
Let him do what he wants. She thought. I will eventually find out what he has to hide from us!  
And as she mulled over her grudge, the door to her office opened to her captain.

“Lewis? Everything is fine ? She said worriedly. Lewis was not used to coming to see her personally in her rooms.  
“Ma'am, someone wants to see you. He says it's urgent. "  
Who could it be? It was late and she didn't expect to see anyone today.  
" Him ? She hissed, thinking it was Hux. And as she leapt out of her chair, she almost shoved Lewis as she walked through the door and hurried down to the command post, she was about to start saying what she had to say to him when suddenly no more. no sound came out of his throat.

She had in front of her a young boy barely twenty years old.

Enael felt a hint of disappointment.  
“Cadet Ferguson, ma'am. Lewis hissed. “He's from the academy. He says he traveled incognito and wants to talk to you about an urgent matter.  
\- I see ... she whispered. "  
\- Were you expecting someone else Admiral?  
\- No "she lied," to no one. "  
She walked over to the cadet.  
“Soldier, I'm Admiral Spencer.  
\- My admiral. She began. "I took a risk to come see you, but I have to talk to you about an important matter.  
\- What then?  
\- A private matter Madam, it is about Cardinal. There are things that can be left out to tell you. "

She had sat down at her desk and invited the cadet to do the same. The young man seemed to be one of the academy's ideal students. Tall, young with a slender physique. Her brown hair was pulled back, giving off an angular face. His large hazel eyes scanned the environment he found himself in. The admiral had put a glass of water next to him and he thanked him with a smile.

" I'm listening to you." She began. "Did you say you took a risk coming here?" "  
He nodded. “Yes my admiral. In truth if they know, I risk disciplinary action, and… not a small one… ”Enael heard the fear in his voice. What he had to say seemed rudely important for a soldier to take such a risk in his career.  
“Why take such a junior risk? Why not do like your little comrades and live with your conscience?  
\- Cardinal was a man I respected a lot, you know? And you seem to want to set the record straight on him. I want to help you. "  
Enael wondered more and more what she would finally find out about him. Would this truth be worthy of the honors given to it? She had the intuition that by scratching the gold layer ...

She was going to discover the rust.  
“When you came to question us, we had received clear instructions. That of delivering the speech you have heard. And we all obeyed without exception.  
\- This explains the lack of variation in your speeches. Enael was satisfied with his instinct, he hadn't betrayed it.  
The cadet nodded in the affirmative.  
“But that wasn't the whole truth. There are things that happened ... Before he disappeared.  
\- Which ones? "  
The younger did not answer immediately.  
“I told you about his relationship with General Brendol Hux. When he passed away, I was very young, I saw the pain in his eyes. He was not losing a colleague, he was losing a member of his family. "  
Ideas were going all over the place in the admiral's brain. Could it be that Cardinal was Hux's brother? But ... They didn't share anything in the physical.  
"He had mourned, until a few months ago, shortly before he ... passed away."  
-What do you mean ?  
\- Well, he's lost his vigor. He was no longer the man we had known, so energetic, aggressive, but loyal. It was all gone. The glint of passion in his eyes was gone, as if he no longer believed in what he was doing. "  
Enael frantically took notes. She suddenly had the impression of sniffing the huge fish that was about to come out of the water.  
"How did you explain that to the academy?" "  
The cadet shrugged his shoulders. "A passing depression." It happens to all of us, but usually he was the one who cheered us up. But there ... He looked disgusted. He paused.  
“That's what everyone knows. But there is also what we hear.  
\- Here we are. Enael breathed, in his eyes there was nothing more interesting than the hallway noises.  
“It is said that Cardinal and Phasma hated each other, that they only lived to be brought down. When Phasma was promoted, Cardinal lived it very badly. But everything changed when this rebel got caught.  
\- A rebel ?  
\- Yes, I was detached with him on Absolution at that time. I heard that they had intercepted a rebel. I'm not sure why, but I think she had something to do with her questioning.  
\- And why do you have this feeling?  
\- Because she disappeared at the same time as him. She would have "escaped" but I don't believe it for a single second. "

And neither does she.

"Do you know his name? "  
The cadet nodded.

"Her name was Vi Moradi."

Enael was about to leave the office. Leaving the younger son alone for a moment, when he called out to him:  
“Madame, something else! He said. “Rumors are circulating about it, it seems that before his escape, Cardinal fought with Phasma and was left for dead. He's gone, thanks to the rebel. I'm sure. "  
Enael had the impression that the bile was rising in his mouth.

She could never have found Cardinal's ship.  
Since he had never left with this ship.

She nodded, thanked the cadet, guaranteeing maximum discretion, and left the room quickly to find Lewis.

"Lewis," she said hastily  
"Yes Admiral?  
\- I need your important network of contacts. "  
he raised his eyebrows.  
"What kind of contact are you talking about?"  
\- From the ones you have at the information desk. I guess my complete file you didn't have it in a loot bag, did you? "  
He gave her a carnivorous smile.  
" What do you need ?  
\- I want to know what really happened the night Cardinal left. "  
Lewis had taken out his notepad and was already writing down what he needed to learn.  
" And something else ?  
\- Yes...  
\- I want to know ... Where was Vi Moradi last seen. "


	12. Chapter 12 : Pandora box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer discovers all the secrets the Cardinal case seems to hide and realizes that Hux could be affected. Meanwhile, the general struggles to bring himself to view Spencer as an enemy, even as Phasma tries to be convincing.  
> Thx for all for reading ! Comment is appreciate ;)

**She was off, like the light of a candle blown by the wind.**

**-Somewhere in the galaxy Year 1 after Yavin-**

She wasn't even looking at the officer standing in front of her anymore. The void seemed to be a better alternative. Of course, she had perceived an explosion, in the sky, so far that to her eyes it had been a small point of light brighter than the others.

But she knew that in her heart, the explosion was going to be much more terrible.

“Madame Tarkin, the Empire is sincerely sorry and joins in your grief. "

* The empire ...? * She thought. * The empire is no more, it has received the coup de grace and is awaiting its last sacraments. * She thought.

“Leave me, please. "

The officer bowed gently and stepped back towards the door. At that moment, Eleanor couldn't contain her emotions and tears had beaded in her eyes.

In the space of an instant, she had just lost the main pillars of her life.

Her father.

Her husband.

And there was only one left.

She glanced at the crib next to her. Would she have had this child if she had known everything that was going to happen a few months later? She felt the sheets crumple gently, the baby starting to fidget. Did he feel his mother's tension?

The young woman got up and leaned over the child. This little girl with big blue eyes looked like a porcelain doll. She was an angel, his angel, the one who had become everything in his eyes. The child was about to cry.

“Don't cry, my sweet darling. The young woman breathed, kissing her daughter tenderly on the forehead. And as she settled back into her chair, she cradled the child, whispering to her like a song tune.

"When darkness falls and surrounds you.When you fall.When you're scared and you're lostBe brave... " 

She saw the baby slowly calm down as she hummed the tune of the song. When the door suddenly opened.

“Eleanor! "

The young woman's gaze lit up.

“Eurydice! She exclaimed.

The young mother wanted to take the young woman in her arms, but could not bring herself to put the child in her bed.

"I learned what had happened, don't tell me that ...

"Eleanor nodded."My father died today ..." she breathed.

"What about Erwin?" " 

Erwin was her husband. She had met him when they were still only Imperial Cadets. But very quickly he had risen to the position he had always dreamed of: that of pilot. And if at the beginning his father had not appreciated his presence too much, because he lacked nobility, he had ended up recognizing in this man many qualities.Ou had surrendered to his daughter's stubbornness. When the latter had informed him of her pregnancy, the great Moff had ended up leaving his last vehemences aside at the idea of having an heiress to the Tarkin family.That night Erwin had fought in Yavin too.

"His battalion was wiped out ... I ...

\- Don't say anything more.

Eurydice hissed, hearing her friend's voice fade away.The two young women remained silent for a moment. Each had lost what mattered most to them during those dark years. And both knew that the empire was in its final upheavals. Eleanor then remembered her last conversation with her husband. He had never hidden anything from her, even in the worst situations, in the worst distresses. That evening, he had told her that it was likely that he would never come back.“We will fight to the end! Eleanor hissed.

“But our future is in jeopardy, you know that. "

Eurydice knew Eleanor would never let go. She had fought many times before and was ready to return when her child was only a few months old.µ

"You can still run away, go with the little one and ...

\- No way ! She began, cutting off her friend.

“I promised Erwin that I would get Enael to safety, that she will survive our fall, but there is no way I am leaving the ship, not even for my daughter.

"Eurydice was troubled by her friend's gaze. Despite the hardships, fatigue and wear and tear of the last battles, nothing could quench the iron determination that animated his green eyes. Nothing seemed to really destroy her.Eleanor walked over to her friend.

"You are the only friend I have left, I have always considered you as my sister" she began.

"You know it's only a matter of years, if not months, before this all falls apart ... And I'll never be back from this war."

" Eurydice felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces. What was she going to do without it? Eleanor had known how to believe in her more than anyone, it was thanks to her that she was here today.

"In a while you will have to leave here." A shuttle will be ready for you ... and you will take Enael with you. She paused briefly and, having rested her child in the cradle, took her friend's hands in hers. "Promise me to protect her.

" Promise me to protect her better than I can. With me, this child is already dead. Her voice was shaking and contrasted so much with the light in her gaze. Eurydice gasped.

"Make this child yours, and go." And as soon as things start to settle down, take her to Arkanis." Eurydice did not know what to answer."Is this my farewell gift to you?" She breathed.Eleanor nodded."To me, and to the empire ...

"Eurydice looked for a moment at the child who was sleeping peacefully in her cradle. She seemed immersed in a fascinating dream. Was she aware of the life she was going to have to lead? Of course not.And she knew, that she wanted to protect her as long as she could.

**_Donnagher - Now_**

Enael was sitting at her desk and rereading her notes. It was quite impossible that this cadet had lied. In those eyes, she had before her the whole truth that had always been hidden from her. She was almost dizzy, feeling her heart pounding deep in her rib cage. The admiral was impatiently awaiting feedback from Lewis, who had asked her for a delay in order to complete her information search. And today was the long awaited day. When he entered this office, she immediately stood up to greet him, the smile he wore on her lips already announced that he had obtained what he wanted.

“First of all, Admiral, I would like you to be honest with me.

\- With you ? Enael was surprised at her captain's statement, although it is true that she had not yet said anything about her discussion with the cadet."What is it that you ask me for this information?" Does it relate to what was said with the cadet? You do me a lot of secrecy. You who have always been very talkative, I feel you are very silent and that worries me. " He had scored points, as it was rare that she did not express things to her colleague. But it wasn't for lack of confidence that she had shut up, she was just lost and confused by what she had heard and the consequences it was going to have. She motioned for Lewis to sit down at her desk and pointed to her notes. The man stared at her in shock then rested his glasses on the rim of his nose, his green eyes quickly scouring the contents and he looked up, surprised.

"Do you realize what is written there?" He called out to her almost in shock.“Obviously, why the hell would I be like this if not? "

Lewis didn't answer, he continued to juggle his admiral and the notes. These notes were crazy, they called into question all his certainties and the idea that his admiral was at the same point as him worried her all the more.

"You are aware that if all this is true, it is not only Phasma who ..."

Yes… Pryde is probably in the game too…" she cut him off.

“Things are beyond us I'm afraid. Lewis began. "I'm afraid this case is hiding a lot of things ...

\- Settling of scores within our superiors… ”

Enael sighed. She wondered why she had to be involved in this. Why Pryde, when he was aware of certain things, pointed it out and then let Phasma do it knowingly. 

"Why did you nominate me for the investigation?" And suppose what I said about Phasma is true, and I'm sure now, why did Pryde let this happen? Unless of course I'm not part of the plans.

\- I believe that on the contrary, that was the plan, Madame .... "Her blood froze. Was her captain clearly telling her that Pryde's goal was to make her disappear on purpose?

" But why ?

\- Something's bothering him. Pryde has always been like that, he doesn't like what bothers him. It could just be the idea that you're a Tarkin, or other things only him knows ... And I could be wrong, too. He added, seeing Admiral Spencer's face crumble.

Enael was silent for a moment. Her gaze was blank, but her head was full of questions. For the first time she realized the risks she was running. Was she able to withstand such a load? Was she only ready? No of course not.

"What should I do Lewis?" She said in a trembling voice.

"Should I give up? "

The captain looked at the young woman with a look full of emotion. She seemed like a helpless child, but he knew she wasn't, he knew that usually this kind of anguish would go away as quickly as it came. But this time, for the first time, he doubted.

"You are the admiral, you do what you see fit ..." he began. “Giving up is a possible choice, but is that answering your questions?

"The two soldiers looked at each other in silence. Enael deep in thought seemed to only half listen to his captain's wisdom.

“For your information, this is what you asked me. He then put a folder on the corner of the desk with several loose sheets inside. "It was not easy, but I have a few friends with very loose tongues and very sensitive ears ..."

The captain smiled.

"But Admiral, it's the Pandora's box that I put there on your desk. Opening it is choosing to know things that you might never want to know. "

She stood there for a moment, not even looking at the file her captain had just placed on the table, like a deliciously tempting treat. She thought about everything that had happened, and all those unanswered questions. She also thought that she could finally put an end to it all, find out the truth, even if it had to be expensive.

She would also be fixed on the real intentions of Hux. Was he with them? She had a hard time knowing how she would live this idea, but it was part of the truth she wanted to know. Even if it were to break her. Besides, it was difficult for him to push from his mind the idea that finding the end of this investigation could keep Pryde and Phasma in check. At least she hoped.It wasn't very long before she made up her mind. And only then did she set her big blue eyes on Pandora's Box. And she knew she would never regret the choice she was about to make. Without waiting another second, with a quick gesture, she grabbed the file Lewis had placed on the table. 

**-Finalizer, at the same time-**

Standing in front of the large window of the command of his ship, Hux gazed into infinity. Before him lay the abyss dotted with stars and even closer to him, his project, his consecration.This was his greatest pride, even though many considered him too young, the supreme leader, had trusted him and he considered it a privilege. Even his own father had never trusted him.

No matter how much he thought about everything that had happened between them, he was certain deep inside that nothing could have happened otherwise. No one had ever believed in his abilities, and every day he spent wearing his father's title was a personal victory for him. But he probably would not stop there, with the success of his work, he would have the recognition of all and probably also the respect of his worst detractors. He knew it, his success was there, he touched it with the tips of his fingers. But in this perfect picture, something was wrong that he absolutely had to fix. 

"Did you want to see me, General Hux?" " 

A female voice, almost metallic, rose behind him and the reflection of Phasma appeared in the glass. He turned and found it hard to hide his sullen look. 

"Is it true what Admiral Spencer said earlier?"

\- What are you talking about ?

\- Phasma ... We both know that you have an excellent memory ... Unless this time you took the initiative to forget certain details? "

The captain didn't answer, she had taken off her helmet as Hux answered her with his usual spikes, showing her blonde hair and almost expressionless features.

“She's crazy. She called out. "Mad and paranoid, like all Tarkins."

\- Because you know a lot?

\- Her grandfather was a megalomaniac.

\- Her grandfather led the Death Star, he's a hero of the empire. Do you seem to forget it? " 

Phasma was annoyed by this verbal jousting, but even more so by Hux's attitude.

"You seem to be struggling to defend her ..." she breaths almost mockingly.

Hux twitched. Was he really trying to defend her? In truth, it was rare to see him intervene on behalf of anyone and he understood why Phasma seemed surprised. But quickly, he dismissed this hypothesis with the back of his hand.

"I try especially to be objective Phasma, isn't that the role of a leader?

\- Anyway, what I did or not Hux, does not concern you.

\- Indirectly, yes. I remind you that we are both concerned by this case. "

Hux was nervous. In her eyes, Phasma had just confessed what he feared: everything had been engineered by her in order to make her disappear. But why this relentlessness? Was that her idea or was someone behind her stoking the fire?"I always act to keep this secret, because you know that if they find out we will both sink.

" And she poses a threat.

"No…" he called out as he turned again to the splendor of starry space.

"She's not a threat."

Phasma didn't know what to say. Had he lost sight of the fact that she might find out who he really was and what he had done with Brendol Hux? On the other hand, she saw how painful things seemed to him. She could still sense that he was aware of the gravity of the situation, but that he just couldn't decide on what was right and wrong to do. Phasma let appear a very sad smile, but no one saw it, for she had already put her helmet on her head. She must not forget that behind the mask of cruelty there was always a human being. And Hux was no exception to this. 

"You don't get attached to the right people, Hux, wasn't your father's lesson enough for you?" " Hux didn't answer, he felt a point pierce his heart. Talking about his father was painful. Hearing others talk about it was so much more. "Are we done? Phasma called out, waiting for a reaction from the redhead."Yes ..." he breathed. “Go captain. "

And as she left the deserted command post, Hux couldn't help but think about everything that had happened. At that hint of worry he had felt when she had gone on a mission with the Iron Captain. To the anger he felt when he understood what Phasma had done.To the disappointment he had felt when Spencer suspected him to have something to do with it. And also, to that awful feeling that whatever happened now, things were never going to be the same. And as he saw his reflection in the glass, he thought back to the terrible choice he had to make and wondered if he had made the right decision. And thinking back to what Phasma had said, everything was much clearer.For him there was no doubt now.It was the best decision he had made in a long time.


	13. Chapter 13 : And so, i love him...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey !! Thx for your reading and comment ! Enjoy this new chapter.   
> In this chapter you will learn more about the Hux / Cardinal relationship. Spencer will discover a lot of truths

“Millie? "

**Unknown regions 10 after Yavin**

He had been looking everywhere for several hours now and the more time passed, the more his heart sank at the idea that she was finally gone for good.

Armitage might rehash his day, he was sure he had put Millie to safety before leaving for his training and could still see himself closing the door behind him. Like every morning, scrupulously respecting the ritual. However, tonight, when he had come back from a difficult day, Millie had not come to rub his legs as usual. Worried, thinking her at first ill, Armitage called her and having had no meow in response, he even waved the box of kibble which she never resisted.

In vain.

He then understood the drama that was happening before his eyes, Millicent was gone, she was simply no longer there. The ten-year-old had been seized with a panic he had never known before, not the one he felt when his father arrived here, but the feeling of having lost what mattered most to him. And after turning her whole room around, even going to look under her large wardrobe, he realized that she wasn't here at all. He had then stormed out of his apartment, trying not to let his fear show through.

But anyone who knew Armitage well could tell for sure through his eyes that he was totally distraught.

Because everything passed through his eyes.

He had walked into the open rooms, asked here and there if anyone had seen a red-haired cat, but no one could give him reassuring information. It was then that he had decided to leave his lodge and go to the other side of the building. This part was deserted at this late hour of the day, as it was the place where they practiced melee in the morning. Discipline that Armitage never really liked, but a mandatory step in his training.  
Each of his steps seemed to reason in the grandeur of the colors, he walked slowly and cautiously in the twilight and had the strange feeling of not being alone.  
Suddenly, a thud made him turn abruptly.  
“Millie? He breathed, little reassured to know the true origin of this noise. Yet he had to find her, it was a necessity. He then took his courage in both hands and decided to go to the room where the sound had come from. After a good breath, he finished opening the door and entered the great room.  
This is where he saw them.

"Is that what you're looking for the redhead?" "

There he was, sitting on a bench, his eyes triumphant. That dark look that had always characterized him since his first meeting. This boy, a little older than him, inspired terror among the young people who followed the training of Brendol Hux. He was the one who imposed his authority by force and it worked wonderfully.  
And that boy was there, triumphant, holding Millicent by the skin of his back.  
"Let go of Archex ..." said the redhead in a tone of false confidence. He felt that if the cat was there with him, it was not due to chance.  
"Ouuuh, stop ... You almost scare me weakling!" He called out laughing. "You remember the last time you asked me something what happened to you right?" He continued triumphantly.  
"Let go ..." he said again, ignoring the mocking tone of his interlocutor.  
Archex shrugged and his lips twisted into a huge smile.  
"As you wish, fool. And as he said those words, the arm that was holding Millicent swung and he propelled the cat against the wall of the room. Millicent was nimble, but no doubt she had felt the pain of the shock. It's a little stunned that she fled as fast as she could.

Armitage's blood only swirled around and without thinking he rushed at Archex with the one and only desire to finish him off. He had hurt his one and only friend. He had to pay.  
But he forgot, that Archex Cardinal was much stronger than him.

The boy swiftly dodged and grabbed him by the collar to knock him down. He could never get up, trapped by the liveliness of the young boy with the dark hair. He kept shooting him in the stomach, ribs and back. Each kick was more violent than the last. Armitage tried as best he could to resist his opponent and he managed to tip him over with a trifle.

While he seemed to have the upper hand, Archex struck him with a violent ball that made him recoil. His vision was blurry and he felt blood trickle down his forehead as his ears hissed heavily.  
He saw the figure of Archex in front of him.  
"Checkmate, weak!" He threw her before giving her the final punch. Armitage thought his jaw was going to snap, he collapsed to the floor, almost unconscious. Defeated.  
He made Cardinal's feet come closer to him.  
"I hope that now you understand who is in command, it will be me, and forever!" He said before spitting in her face. But the young redhead couldn't even answer him, his head was spinning ...  
And he sank.

___________

"Well, what? Have you seen a ghost? "

**DONNAGHER NOW**

Lewis watched his admiral pacing up and down. It had been some time since he had sensed the agitation emanating from the quarters of this one. But when she arrived at the command post, the usual hubbub had ceased and all eyes were on her.  
"So we should never tire of your eccentricities Madam?" Is this the principle? He said jokingly.  
It had to be said that Spencer had done strong: selling off her admiral uniform, she was now dressed like a citizen of Tatooine and as if that was not enough, she had traded her long auburn hair for a much shorter cut. Now her locks of hair curled up to cover her ears and stopped there.  
"Is this my hairstyle?" Is it wrong? The admiral's worried look made everyone smile, but Lewis shook his head at Enael's dazed look.

"No, no, let's say it's more of a change ... Radical!"  
\- He had to ! I go to Tatooine. I know that many rebels are found there, I must remain discreet since my bad adventure on Jakku. It would suffice for one of those to be there and my plan is ruined! The galaxy is little Lewis! ” She concludes, pulling her hair back. This cut would allow him more comfort in the event of a problem and it will be much easier for him to hide them in the event of a desert storm.

“Let's start! She said, pointing to the sergeant in charge of the hologram. A map then appeared in the center of the room. “According to your report, Lewis, Vi Moradi was last located on the planet Tatooine. It seems that her traffic has evolved. Once she was looking for wool, now she seems much more attracted to loose parts. She started circling the hologram.  
"When a fox is hiding, you have to get it out of its burrow by titillating it a little and that's where I come in!" The enthusiasm in her voice was nice to hear as she pointed to a point on the hologram.  
“I'm going to go here, it's a central place for all kinds of trafficking. I'll go bar hopping to tell whoever will listen that I stole an Imperial ship and want to sell it as a spare. But that I want to sell it to someone who knows enough about it to give me a good price.  
-You are aware that there is ... One chance in I don't know how many possibilities that you will come across her the first time? Lewis said skeptically.

“Obviously! But if I survived a solo mission with Phasma I think the rest will seem less complicated to me. The staff could not restrain a small laugh at these words.  
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" We have well trained men who could be of great support to you.  
\- No need, it's my idea, I'll go alone. I have a blaster hidden under my tunic, I hope I don't have to use it. "

**Tatooine**

She had decided to land her ship much further than where she needed to be. The wind and the sand did not allow her to see more than five hundred yards, but her holonet quickly enabled him to find her way back. The commotion that reigned in this quarter astonished him. Who would have thought that a few moments before she was in the middle of the desert? Many species seemed to live together in peace and she observed that the market was a very popular meeting place for the natives. She tried to be discreet, hands in her pockets, head bowed, she looked around to know where to start, carefully choosing the establishments where she would go first. Acting and getting results quickly was her goal.  
As she passed one of those bars, she saw the door slam open and a creature thrown to the ground. The man in the doorway was looking at him with a very annoyed expression.  
"If I see you here again for anything other than paying your debts, I'll be a lot less sympathetic!" »Exclaimed the owner of the bar exasperated!  
“Jester! The other replied, barely standing on his feet, but it was already too late, for the door had already closed in front of him. Without another word, he picked up his things without asking for the rest and staggered off.

Spencer looked at the front of the bar, there was nothing to suggest that it was a business. The house was a traditional habitat of the region, and apart from a music that seemed to emanate from it, one could pass by as if nothing had happened. No doubt, then, that this was where she had to start.

Inside, the atmosphere was stifling. Between the smoke and the heaviness of the air, the admiral had the impression of suffocating. Everywhere tables were set up and all were filled with all kinds of beings chatting, smoking, drinking or playing cards. Laughter erupted here and there between several discussions, while a young woman seemed to pick up a bounty hunter in a corner near the stage, where the musicians were having a blast. Stepping into this relentless slump, she still didn't remove her hood, but when she felt suspicious looks on her as she settled in at the bar, she eventually changed her mind.  
" What are you drinking ? The man she'd seen throw one of her customers at the door ten minutes ago called out. For a brief moment she looked at him, not sure what to say. What to drink without risking spitting it all out the next second? Glancing at the different bottles on the display, she finally pointed to one. The one that seemed the least worse to him.  
"Do you have enough to pay at least?" "  
Enael slipped her hand into one of her tunic pockets and threw a few coins on the counter, which made the bartender smile with all his teeth ... Very disgusting.

He put the glass down in front of her and quickly turned away to attend to other customers. As she sipped her strange brew, she told herself her plan was really fucked up and finding Moradi was going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Out of all these people, maybe one of them knew her, or maybe she was completely wrong.  
"Me, I'm looking for that kind of room, you know? "  
Her ear had picked up this sentence from two people sitting next to her. She had winced, but was trying not to look too big. She continued to sip her glass as if nothing had happened, closing her eyes to focus all of her attention on her hearing.  
“Dude, it's impossible to find this prototype unless you go for a ride in the unknown regions. Do you really want to know what's out there?  
\- I don't, but my client is very, very interested. "

A client ? Now things were getting interesting, but Spencer decided not to intervene.  
"You tell your friend who shouldn't play this game, that she doesn't know what's going on over there."  
\- Oh yes, yes, she knows, she knows because she told me that she had already been there ... for business, let's say ... personal. "  
She could smell the fish, it was time to set the hook.  
" Excuse me. She called out to the bartender.  
"Do you want to drink something again, girl?"  
\- No, but I'm not from the area, I would like ... Some information.  
\- What about ? "

She pulled out her holonet, the one she had taken for her plan, and a ship appeared. A First Order ship that looked like a hunter, the kind of model that wreck hunters were very interested in.  
"I caught that ..." she breathed, sounding deceptively discreet. "I would like to make some money, times are tough ..." She hadn't noticed the stares of the two individuals on her, and more particularly on what the hologram displayed. The bartender nodded.  
"We don't do that kind of business here," he began looking suspicious. “We are legal. We. "

* That's it * she thought. * And I am a Wookie. *

She closed the hologram, looking deceptively disappointed.  
"Oh ... well, sorry for bothering you." She called out to him as the more grumpy bartender had already turned to wipe his glass.  
"Hey, psst, doll."  
She heard the man next to her call her out and looked up at him. This was not the time to pick up on the vulgar way in which he had started the conversation, the result was at hand.  
" What do you want ? She said in a hostile tone.  
"I saw what you showed you big cranky ... That interests me really.  
\- It seemed to me that there was no such kind of trade here ... "  
The guy shrugged.  
"It's not for me, it's for a ... friend." She collects this kind of little gem.  
\- I don't trade with intermediaries. She snapped. "If your friend is interested, get in touch with me tonight in front of this building." It is with her that I negotiate, and with no one else. "

Night had fallen on Tatooine.

Enael had been there for a good hour now. Despite the night, a strange light emanated from the buildings and music rose in the distance, mingling with bursts of laughter and cries of arguments. Life seemed peaceful here, everyone going about their business, good or bad. She looked at the celestial vault above her and thought about the size of the galaxy. How many planets had she never visited? Dozens, maybe even hundreds.  
"Pssst."  
\- She jumped. The guy from earlier was hidden there in the half-light, gesturing for him to join him. Suspicious, she took a step towards him.  
“It's ok, she wants to see you.  
\- When?  
\- Now come with me. "  
Enael looked at him out of the corner of her eye, suspicious.  
"You better not play five lines on me."  
\- Not my type, especially when the jackpot is waiting for me at the end. So you follow me? "  
She nodded, it was her only lead. She had no choice but to follow her instincts. And as he led her down the dark alleys, she wondered if that was really a good idea.  
"It's there, she wants to see you, alone!" He started opening the door for her, then, when she entered, he closed the door behind her.  
A woman in overalls was sitting in a workshop. Thousands of loose parts surrounded it and sparks were coming out here and there. No doubt Enael was in the right place.  
" You want to see me ? She said, walking slowly towards her. The woman took off her glasses and tilted her chair towards her.  
She was a mixed-race woman, her brown skin contrasted with her gray hair. She had a muscular build and looked like a tomboy. Her yellow eyes gave him a sharp look. She then remembered the photo in Lewis' file and had no further doubts.

Vi Moradi was there in front of her.

“I heard you had something that interested me. She said, standing up.  
Spencer nodded.  
" Show me. "  
She took her holonet out of her pocket, but Moradi stopped her.  
"Project it on that. I want more details. "  
The admiral whirled around and busied himself with plugging in the holonet, without really feeling that Moradi had stepped slowly behind her.  
"Your adapter doesn't seem ..." Spencer had started her sentence, but could never finish it as a punch lodged in her jaw, she rocked back but held herself on the edge of a worktable. , causing in its fall a crowd of spare parts. Blood was running from her nose and she was stunned, but now was not the time to think about her condition, or what was going on, since she saw Moradi's feet come closer to her. She grabbed the leg of a chair beside her and threw it at the rebel with all her might. The wood burst against her ribs and she let out a cry of pain. Taking advantage of Moradi's weakness, she grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, but her head was spinning and she lost her balance, the rebel took advantage of a moment of weakness to kick her with a knee in the stomach. Spencer gasped and felt himself fall to the ground, the rebel's full weight holding her against the wooden floor.

"Calm down okay?" The Admiral said, breathless. "I'm not here for your petty traffic, I'm not going to swing you.  
-Oh yeah ? And why are you here? "  
Enael hesitated a moment, then decided to play fair.  
"Do you know Archex Cardinal?"

Enael saw Moradi's gaze change, she seemed to press less hard on herthroat.  
"Did something happen to Archex?" She said. Surprise. Bingo, the Admiral thought. Spencer sighed.

"He's gone, and maybe he's dead by the time we grab our hair." So if you let me go, we'll be able to talk, okay? "

Moradi let go and held out a hand to the admiral to help her up.  
"What tells me you're not lying to me?" »She threw him  
"Nothing at all," Enael said dryly, wiping away the blood that was flowing from her nose. "But if I haven't made a hole between your eyes yet, maybe I'm not just talking nonsense right?" "  
Moradi hesitated a moment before offering him one of the only chairs still standing in her workshop.

“I'm investigating the disappearance of Archex Cardinal, my real name is Enael. Are you Vi Moradi? "  
The rebel nodded in the affirmative.  
"What do you know about Archex? She called to the admiral's attention.  
“I know things I shouldn't know. I know your escape coincides with his disappearance. We want to blame you over here, but I don't think you took him hostage ... No ...  
-And what do you think then, you?  
\- I think he opened your cell, and that you left with him. "  
She lowered her eyes.  
"What was your relationship?" "  
Moradi looked up at the admiral. Surprise.  
"Complicated ... At first ... We weren't very good friends. She paused briefly. “I got caught for other reasons. And this guy found out the coordinates of my ship. He came to see me every evening, in the greatest of secrets. "  
Enael didn't say a word, she listened attentively to what the rebel was telling her. So obviously the coordinates of his ship interested him. But why ?  
"You don't know what this kind of guy is able when he catches you!"  
\- They must have learned that somewhere, right? Enael retorted, knowing the rebels were equally capable of the worst.

“He tortured me. But on the other side he was doing everything to keep me alive ... He wanted to know what I knew about a named Phasma. At first, I didn't want to tell him, that ... that I had heard things said. I resisted but ... I ended up giving in. I saw in him that the truth would tip him over. She paused briefly.  
“And I ended up telling him everything I knew. She concluded.  
So she was right. Phasma was well connected to all of this. And much more than she had imagined.  
“I told him the truth about Phasma. I told her she had something to do with the death of her mentor Brendol Hux. I just know that he investigated, and that when he came back to see me, that he was different. Off ... We discussed at length .... One evening, he released me and told me to get the hell out of Absolution as soon as possible. But I didn't listen to him. I stayed there and found him later left almost for dead.  
\- Did you take it with you? "

She nodded.

"Does that sound crazy to you?" Saving the guy who tortured me for days, weeks ... But believe me, what happened after that was much more ... strong ... It erases everything ... I never took care of someone besides him and ... my brother. "

She remained silent. What she heard from this woman was beyond her, but she saw so much emotion in her eyes that she preferred not to say anything immediately. It was so inconceivable for her to fall under the spell of a man who had abused her.  
"But while we were on the run, he told me he couldn't stay with me, that he was going to put me to safety and go back again. These are the only moments I spent with him.  
\- You asked him why he had changed so suddenly?  
\- Obviously, but he was very evasive. I understood that what I told him about his mentor's death was true, that it was because of Phasma, but that's all he told me. Maybe he didn't trust me enough. "

Enael felt ants run through his body. The truth was there, right in front of her, but she was convinced that she didn't have it all. So Phasma had killed General Hux's father? But how was it possible that he could still talk to her?  
The only assumption she had made her blood run cold.  
He probably knew it all, or worse yet, he was involved in it. How could she have believed that Hux was a good person? She couldn't get the moment they had spent together in her head, how could a man like him hide his true nature so well?

She couldn't believe he was a monster.  
He couldn't be a monster, not with what she had seen of him.  
Anger was rising in her, she felt betrayed, manipulated.

And terribly alone.

Moradi gave him a melancholy look.

"He was a good person you know?" "

Enael gave him a look. For a brief moment she had thought Moradi had read her mind. But she was talking about Cardinal and her words were full of tenderness.  
"I don't see how you can say that about a guy who tortured you!" Spencer said, in a tone that betrayed the flood of emotions she had drowned in.  
"Talk about a guy from your place ...  
\- It is not because we share the same banner that we share the same values! "  
Moradi smiles.

"Maybe you're not so bad ..." She put her hands behind her neck.  
"Here," she said, extending her hand to him. "Cardinal wanted me to destroy this thing, that it wasn't there anyway." But something prompted me not to do it. "  
Enael grabbed the object. It was a thick metal chain whose pendant was a military plaque on which the inscriptions “Archex Cardinal” were noted. It was his identity chain, all the soldiers had one.  
"It's the only thing he left here before he left ... And you're telling me that in a while something could have happened to him?" "  
The admiral just nodded.  
"Too bad, he could have joined our ranks ... He could have fought alongside us." "  
A long silence settled between the two women. Enael found it hard to know how she felt about her. She had been touched by the way she had spoken of her "friend", but on the one hand she was overwhelmed by Moradi's ability to have forgiven her for his crimes. Maybe that was the unconditional love she had only heard about in the books.  
She didn't know if this woman was lucky or cursed.

Maybe it was both at the same time.

“Maybe one day you will understand. Hissed the rebel. "You still look very young to me, but let me tell you something." Love someone is not in control, it falls on you. You don't always realize it, and when you realize that this person is essential to you, then sometimes it's too late ... "She paused" If this happens to you one day, don't do the same. mistake me. "

Enael considered Vi for a brief moment. Had she really loved someone ever in her life? In fact, as far back as she could remember, there was Eurydice, her godmother, for whom she had devoted a brotherly love. But life, the war, the rebels had taken hold of him.  
Since that day, she had never been able to attach herself to anyone again, fearing that her heart would be torn out yet again. She gave a little smirk.

“Thank you for the valuable information you gave me. She said to the rebel before getting up to leave. “And one last thing. I've never seen you and ... you've never seen me either. "

Moradi nodded.

"Find out what happened to him, tell me who's responsible." Promise me. She whispered to him.  
Spencer nodded heavily. Yes, she would come back to Tatooine one day to tell him everything. She knew it and without looking back, the Admiral left Moradi alone in the middle of the battlefield.

For her, too, her world had collapsed that night.


	14. 14. Cardinal's legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey ! Thanks for your comments and kudos !   
> In this chapter, Spencer finds out about Cardinal's confession and realizes to whom the message she has discovered is addressed. A discussion with Hux is essential

Unknown regions 10 after Yavin

He felt a hot liquid run down his forehead, slide down his nose, and wash up on the icy tiles. Little by little, he had opened his eyes and he could barely make out the twilight, his vision was so blurry.  
How long had he been there on the ground?  
He drew on all his strength to sit up slowly. His head was spinning and he felt dizzy which he tried to control by closing his eyes. With the back of his sleeve, he rubbed the blood that had run down his face.  
Armitage was alone and seemed to have lost consciousness for a good hour already. At that moment, his mind returned and he was worried: what would his father say if he didn't see him in his room?  
One more last effort and he straightened up on his cottony legs.  
Despite the pain, he was obsessed with the idea of getting back to his rooms as quickly as possible. Walking as fast as he could, catching himself here and there against the wall. His heart was pounding, could it be that Millicent had returned to his room? He hoped so with all his heart, especially since he had left an opening in the door to allow him to enter.  
But what he saw when he finally arrived home made him flinch.

there he was, sitting on the desk chair.

" Where were you ? Brendol Hux's voice was as sinister as the character himself. He had made the blood flowing from his son's forehead, and even his general condition, only the fact that he was not there when he needed to be.  
Armitage closed the door, looking down to the ground in panic. He heard the rustle of his father's uniform as he rose from his chair to come towards him.  
" WHERE WERE YOU ?! He yelled, insisting on every word he said.  
The young boy was scared to death, but he mustn't let it show, he knew it would be much worse otherwise.  
" I... "  
He didn't have time to finish when he already felt his father's grip grab him by the collar and pin him to the wall.  
"Hurry, I'm losing my patience!" "  
The young boy didn't know what to say, his father's face was so close to his that he could feel his nervous breathing.  
“I… I was trapped. I ... Archex hit me, I passed out, I ... didn't see ... I'm sorry. "

He was sorry, but sorry about what? Sorry I wanted to find Millie? Sorry I got hit and left there like a corpse? Sorry to be late or sorry to disappoint again?  
"Are you telling me…" Brendol began scornfully, not releasing his hold. "That you're late because of Archex?" "  
Armitage did not answer. He just couldn't do it. Shocked that his father seemed even more angry at his son's denouncing Cardinal's abuse than by his delay.  
"Father… I…" he was choking, Brendol's grip on his neck had tightened and he couldn't breathe normally.  
He slammed it to the ground!  
“Don't blame your weakness and mistakes on Archex !!! He yelled. "You are just a coward, an incompetent!" "  
His body was unresponsive, each of his movements were painful. He tried to get onto his back, in order to look at the ceiling and his father, but as he tried to turn around, he felt a hard kick sink into his stomach. He gasped and coughed to catch his breath.  
"You better not make the same mistake again, son, or next time it'll be a lot worse." "  
He slammed the door behind him, leaving the child alone with his pain. Not for a single moment had he asked him if he was okay. On the contrary, he had seen fit to hit him again.  
As if what he had lived was not enough.  
Armitage saw in the distance a small red ball come out from under his bed, he closed his eyes, relieved. She at least had come back, at least she would never give up on him. He hadn't done it all for nothing.  
He looked at the ceiling of his bedroom one last time, again feeling violent nausea. As much as he was used to this life, he couldn't get over the idea that everything he was going through was right.  
"I hate them ..." he breathed. And he closed his eyes, hoping that someday fate would turn the wheel.

DONNAGHER – NOW

She had returned with a heart full of emotion. Sitting at her desk, she made Cardinal's pendant swing along its chain, like a pendulum that seemed to have hypnotized her. But Enael was no longer there. Since her discussion with Vi Moradi, she couldn't tear herself away from the idea that Armitage Hux had blood on his hands in this matter.  
Of course, Phasma was responsible too, but to her the thought that she might have killed someone made more sense to her. But how could a man like Hux be involved in the death of his own father? How could one participate in the death of his father? It was beyond her.  
And she kept thinking about him, about what they had both been through and deep down, she had always been certain that he was hiding a lot behind that impassive and ruthless mask. But she was a million miles away from imagining it was that bad.  
Enael tried to come to her senses, having trouble telling herself that she was so wrong about someone. Usually she tended to break through other people's barriers quickly, being sensitive to what they were going through, what they were feeling. But in the case of Armitage Hux, she seemed distraught, unable to do the same. It was so hard to understand that he was confusing her, and the thought that he could have done such a thing left her in deep disarray. She continued to observe Cardinal's military plaque, thinking back to what Moradi had told her. Strangely, the Admiral had compassion for this rebel and a deep respect for her strength of character. The idea that she had thus saved the life of her torturer by forgiving him all his misdeeds was in her eyes a military feat.

"I'm afraid now I have to figure it all out ..." she whispered to herself as the chain still swung in front of her eyes. "I opened Pandora's box ..." she added, thinking about what Lewis had told her. But this plaque did not seem to provide much answer. And as she slid it through her fingers, trying to externalize her nervousness, she told herself that she could still go back. Tell Pryde about her failure to find the truth and leave it at that.  
But suddenly she stopped spinning the plate between her fingers and began to examine it. His gaze fell on a strange detail. If her eyes couldn't make out anything, she resumed her ritual: sliding the object between her fingers, turning it in all directions, gently touching the smooth metal several times. And as she felt the coldness of the metal on her skin, the admiral was seized with a strange frenzy. Hastily, she threw herself on the chest of drawers and began to open each of them, turning almost all of them over. Not finding what she was looking for, she returned to her desk and searched it from top to bottom, lifting up the leaves that had piled up for weeks. That's where she ended up finding the magnifying glasses lying around and, turning on the desk light, she leaned over the metal plate while resting the telescope over his large blue eyes.  
“Damn it! She huffed, hopping out of her seat. She hurried out of the office, holding the pendant in one hand and the bezel in the other, walking through the hallways, quickly greeting each member of the crew she passed. She had to find Lewis and he was probably at the command post by now.  
Lewis watched the Admiral hurry up with suspicion. She seemed to sport the keen gaze of the hunter who had scented for prey. Anyway, he knew that when she tumbled like that without warning, it only announced twists and turns.  
She holds up the pendant in front of her eyes.

"Can I find out where the problem is, Admiral?"  
\- You don't see anything, do you? No of course, we all missed it! "  
She tightened the pendant and the chain in her fist.  
"Do you remember that mania you hate?" »She had told him while settling on one of the desks of the command post. Lewis knew very well what she was talking about. Since he had worked together, he had noticed in her some nervous tics which were sometimes annoying. Among them, one annoyed her greatly: when her superior was upset, she tended not to know how to remain empty-handed. So she grabbed everything that was within reach to occupy the mind. The trouble was that often, once her crisis was over, she left the unfortunate object there without really putting it in its place. Something that unbearable Lewis and his great sense of tidiness and organization. He had already allowed himself one or another remark that Enael had taken as a joke, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it.

"What did you do this time?" He said jokingly.  
"The plaque, I ... I touched this plaque and ... I felt something ... weird."  
\- Weird?  
\- A plate, made in one go, is smooth and without rim, except that here I felt something unusual ... And suddenly, I took this telescope to take a closer look.  
\- A manufacturing defect is quite possible, but ...  
\- No, it's different, it's extremely thin, but there is an irregularity here on this edge! " She pointed to the bottom edge of the plate and Lewis glanced suspiciously at it, but did not approach it.  
“Lewis, this plaque is not made in one piece. There are two parts and they are welded! "  
The captain jumped surprised, she had definitely aroused his curiosity and he approached the office.

"Are you sure what you are saying?" "  
As a simple answer, Enael gave him her place on the desk and handed him the glasses.  
" I am sure ! She called out. “With the naked eye, it goes unnoticed, but with glasses you can easily see the weld there. She found it hard to contain her enthusiasm as she pointed the edge of her finger.  
Lewis glanced at it quickly with the telescope his admiral had handed him. Then gave a dubious look.  
"Why welded two plates together? He breathed.  
Enael gave him a mischievous look, leaving her captain's brain boiling, a smile spreading over her lips when she saw his gaze light up.  
“There are a few things between the two plates! He exclaimed as if he had found some treasure.  
The admiral found it hard to contain her enthusiasm, she waved her finger at her captain with a mischievous smile. “Bingo! She exclaimed.  
And without a word, Lewis hurried out of the command post, leaving the chain on the desk. The Admiral quickly understood what he had in mind when she saw him come back with a desoldering device.  
"You have to gently melt that part," he whispered.

Spencer nodded, shaking with excitement. She felt like Lewis was opening her birthday present. She let her captain do the experiment and pulled away slightly when he put on goggles. The admiral feared that with the excitement she would manage to make a blunder and damage what was inside the two thin metal plates.

When the two plates snapped off, she made out the contents: a microchip attached to the center of the plate with her name engraved on it. It is such a small microprocessor that it could not be extracted without pliers. Both stared at their amazed find, and Lewis couldn't contain his emotion.  
"Shit then ..." he breathed. Enael looked at him bewildered. Had she ever heard Lewis swear once in all this time.  
"Oh ..." he breathed realizing that this might be the first time he had sworn in front of his superior. "We're going to blame that on emotion!" He shrugged, she replied with a smile. No doubt the Donnagher and her crew were made for her. Or rather, that it had been made for this ship forever. That was where she needed to be.

“Sergeant! She exclaimed, and a young woman appeared, her blonde hair tied back with a pen, she took the glasses and carefully observed the object in front of her.  
"It's ... an extremely discreet voice recording processor." Said the stunned sergeant. “I've rarely seen them like this, but they do exist. "  
Enael felt her blood run down her legs. She had in front of her a voice recording of Cardinal himself.  
"Is it possible to ... listen to him?" Although she really wondered if it was a good idea, her curiosity had overcome her sanity. With the object in her possession, Enael had no choice but to listen to it.  
The sergeant nodded. “Yes Ma'am, there is a reader in all of the flagships.  
\- Bring him to my office!  
-In reality Madam, it is already there. Only admirals who have access to it. "

\---

Enael was there, alone, in her office. She had taken a seat on the windowsill and was looking at the space that stretched out through the glass. The vastness of the galaxy managed to make her forget the enormous anguish that had seized her by the throat since she had the microprocessor in her possession.

In her hands was probably the whole truth.

She had slipped the microchip into the device and listened intently to the sergeant's advice. When she had thanked her, the young woman had left, but Lewis had wanted to linger a little longer.  
"Are you sure you want to listen to this on your own?" He had asked her. Lewis was worried, he feared that the contents of the recording would not be pleasant to hear.  
She had nodded.  
"Now yes ..." she breathed. "You told me that if I opened your file I opened Pandora's box, didn't you?" Maybe now is the time for me to close it. "  
Lewis had nodded, adding that he was not very far and had ended up leaving too.  
She was alone, facing the possible outcome of this investigation. The end of an era, the end of several months of hard work vacillating between discouragement and adrenaline.

* It's too late now to back off, Nell, she breathed softly into her mind. * She put her finger gently on the activation button and closed her eyes when she exerted a gentle pressure on it.  
Her breath caught.

"How could you? "  
A deep voice came from the loudspeaker. She was discovering for the first time the voice of the man she had been investigating in all this time. There was something stern and sad about the intonation of his voice. She didn't expect that kind of intonation coming from him. For a long time, through the files and the statements of the cadets, Enael had made an image of this man and hearing this voice gave him a strange feeling.  
Who was he talking to?  
"It was your father ... He ..." Cardinal's voice trailed off and Enael's heart sank as she understood who this message was addressed to.

This message was addressed to Armitage Hux.

"I know everything now, I know how Phasma came to this title, I know what you promised her if she did that." You are just a coward Armitage, a coward as you always have been. A little being who should never have been born and who survives only at the expense of others. Your father was right about you! You didn't even have the balls to settle his account yourself! "

A tear beaded on her cheeks. Her whole body had started to shake. All this hatred in a few sentences made him dizzy. Cardinal hated Hux with all her being, she could feel it in every word he spoke. She was seized with an intense sadness that she was unable to understand. While the message didn't say anything about what happened to Cardinal at the moment, it did say a lot about Armitage Hux's past. So they knew each other? And his father hated him that much? How was this possible? Enael had already heard a lot about the general's past, she knew that his birth was not noble and that he had to fight to make his place in the world, but she was far from imagining what point ...

"The blows you took obviously weren't enough to understand what respect was ... I should have killed you when I had the chance ..." the stormtrooper continued to the red armor.

Enael had her heart on the edge of her lips and she could no longer contain her sobs. Why was she crying? Why couldn't she calm down? She felt like all his insults were on her. She couldn't bear ...  
The idea that we can talk about Hux like that.

"How can I continue to serve this banner that you command?" How could I continue to serve on behalf of your father when you are here now? How could I continue to put up with being under your authority? You ruined everything ! All !  
But you and Phasma will pay for it. Do you want me to tell you ? You will probably never listen to this recording, but today Phasma is living her last moments and I'll get the hell out of here when I see her dead. As for you ... You're not even worth it!  
... If this recording is ever heard, I hope whoever listens to it will understand the truth and bring it to light. You deserve nothing more than shame! "

The recording cut off and Enael knocked the player down to the floor, resting her hands on her face to contain her tears. For her, this recording did not only prove Phasma's guilt to her, it swung in her face that she might have been totally wrong in thinking that Armitage Hux had only been a privileged person hidden in the regions. unknown after the fall of the empire.  
That he had his own father murdered.  
That maybe he was a monster like everyone else.  
But why was she really crying? Was it for this reason? Or did she just not stand the way this man spoke?  
She was unable to see clearly her mind clouded with emotions. She was simply drowned, barely managing to regain her composure.  
Lewis had heard a thud and allowed himself to open the door. Concern had overwhelmed him when he saw the silhouette of the admiral curled up on the windowsill, seized from time to time with slight twitches.

"Are you all right, Admiral?" "  
She looked up, red with tears.  
"Obviously, no ..." he whispered as he closed the door behind his back. He walked slowly towards her, then knowing what to do in this kind of situation, walked over to the kettle and poured her favorite drink. The bitter tea was brewing gently as he set the cup down next to her and moved to sit next to her. The admiral thanked him with a nod before looking into space again.  
"How could I be so stupid?"  
\- About what ? "  
She paused briefly. In truth, she didn't quite know what to say to Lewis, as she just couldn't express more of what she was feeling. Everything was way too messy.  
"You were right, sometimes the truth is not what you would like to hear ...  
'We wouldn't hide it so much if that were the case, Madame. "  
They were silent for a moment. She thought about it all and wondered if it made sense. Nothing made sense. Why did you ask him to run after a ghost? To find out? For her to give up? So that she opens her eyes to the people around her? Unless the goal was much more vicious ...  
Lewis smiles. She touched him deep in her heart. This young woman was so far-sighted when it came to understanding others.

But unable to understand her own heart.

She was distraught when things didn't go as planned, when she was overcome with emotions and couldn't reason correctly.  
“I think you are overwhelmed by your emotions. If I could give you my opinion, you should clear up the final details and report as quickly as possible. Getting it over with will do us a lot of good. You really take this matter far too seriously.  
"I don't know ..." she breathed, taking a sip of her tea. “I don't quite know what to think to tell the truth.  
\- You need a rest. Take the time to reflect. After all, this story has been going on for months, so you might as well wait another day or two, right? "

She smiles. Lewis had a knack for playing down the situation and that did him good. In her eyes, now it was necessary to clarify somes things and draw up a precise and honest report of the Cardinal affair. Although she still didn't know where he was now, Enael was still convinced that the crux of the matter was not there. "

"With all this, I forgot to thank you Lewis…" she huffed softly, swirling her mug between her fingers. The captain turned his head towards her, looking surprised.  
"Thank me, Madame?" The tone of his voice betrayed his astonishment. He knew the Admiral had easy gratitude, but didn't seem to have done anything out of the ordinary lately. This conversation was just a formality and he had found it normal to direct her when she doubted.  
"Well ... For the plotter in my suit pocket !!" On Jakku! Don't you remember? "  
Lewis looked taken aback. Why did he look so confused? Would her captain not remember that catastrophic mission with Captain Phasma?

"But I had nothing to do with it, Admiral, I didn't put this tracer in your pocket. "

Enael stopped breathing. Feeling tingling run through her from head to toe. All the while she had believed Lewis had slipped this tracer into her pocket. And while she was inked in her certainties, everything collapsed.  
“I thought that in view of the high regard Captain Phasma had towards you, you saw fit to take this tracer with you. He said.  
"No ..." she whispered. "I hadn't thought of it ..." her words sounded more like a sigh. If Lewis had nothing to do with it and neither did she, who could have put the plotter in that pocket? And while she remained frozen for a moment staring into the void, she reviewed all the events that had taken place before her departure on a mission with Phasma.  
Until this altercation with him.  
She let go of her cup, which fell to the ground in a thousand pieces.

How could she be so stupid?  
"Is everything okay Admiral?" Lewis said, very worried to see his boss so upset. She had turned livid and he had the impression that she was no longer with him, that she had passed out while keeping her eyes open.  
“I have to go, Lewis. She just said.  
" Where? He said. But he never got an answer. As if hypnotized, she had left the room without even considering his presence. She had already rushed into the corridors of the Donnagher. Not paying attention to what was going on around her.  
All that mattered was her destination.

The Finalizer.


	15. Nocturnal confidences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Spencer and Hux are going to have a long conversation. Something strange will pass between them, as if they let themselves go to their humanities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ! Wow ! So much kudos actually ! I just want to say : THANKKKS !!!   
> Leave comment if you want ! I'm always glad to read it !

There was nothing that mattered more now than getting to the Finalizer. She had announced the landing of her ship and had been greeted by Captain Tritt Opan. This guy was quite austere and mysterious, but Enael quickly understood his role on the ship. Often he followed behind the general and was in charge of command of the ship when the latter was absent. She also knew that their relationship didn't end there: she had already surprised them in the middle of discussions and it was obvious that Opan was Hux's main source of information. It would have been easy to compare Opan to Lewis, but the Admiral was definitely convinced that Opan was far less sympathetic and open-minded than her captain.  
"Good evening Admiral. He started greeting her in a honeyed tone, he gently rocked to his feet, bringing his hands behind his back. "What do we gain from your visit so ... late?" "  
The young woman responded to his greeting with a nod, not immediately picking up Opan's sarcasm.

“I would like to see General Hux, and as you pointed out so well, Captain Opan, it can't wait. "  
He pouted oddly, shaking his head negatively.  
"Well ... I'm afraid that is impossible ..."  
Enael had seen the satisfaction on his face when he broke the news to her. Opan didn't really carry her in his heart. He was one of those who considered him a pure opportunist and whose merits were attributed only to the names of the Tarkins. Unless, of course, the real reason for his inhospitality was the fact that he had found his general much closer to her than he should have been.  
"And can I find out why, Captain?"  
\- He's in a command meeting right now ... And it's going to drag on ... We have ... So much to sort out here. Opan continued in a honeyed tone.  
"Well, I'll wait for him then!" "

She continued her way on the catwalk to join the main corridors. Opan turned around in shock. How could this foolish little girl dare to impose herself on her ship? But as he chewed his anger, he quickly followed the Admiral's footsteps, fearing that the latter would seek General Hux by the skin of his back.

"Since you are very stubborn, I suggest you go and wait in his private space. Follow me. He threw defeated. The captain must have quickly improvised in the face of the impatience of the young woman, especially since he had clear instructions not to disturb Hux under any circumstances. So he had seen fit to make her wait there instead of being noticed at the command post.  
Because in addition to being a well-off, this kid had inherited the determination and instability of the Tarkins and therefore, he preferred that she does not make waves under any circumstances.  
No word was exchanged between them until then. As they passed through the Finalizer, Enael could see how this ship never slept. Every moment, a few things were moving here and there: whether they were soldiers or technicians, the day shifts were juggling the night shifts and nothing really seemed to stop.  
Everything was in turmoil, just like her mind.

The more she advanced, the more she wondered if having run here was the best idea. What was she going to tell him? How was she going to present it to him? As she slipped the reader and the microchip into her pocket, Enael still wondered if she should listen to it. Wasn't that an act of sheer wickedness? Wasn't it stuck a knife in a gaping wound? The admiral didn't want to admit it, but she actually feared Hux's reaction. What should she do if he tried to kill her? Or even worse?  
At least five times as she crossed that hallway behind Opan, she thought of turning around and heading back to the Donnagher.  
But she was there, it was a risk, and she had to take it.  
She must have gotten to the bottom of it.

The admiral had made her cotton legs and lead in her stomach, but as she stood in front of the famous door, she felt nauseous.  
* What am I going to tell him? * She thought suddenly, her feet seemed to refuse to move any further.  
“Well, Admiral. Have you seen a ghost? Opan's grim voice behind her pulled her out of her torpor. Of course not, but the thought of confronting Hux this way and entering his private rooms terrified her. She gave Opan an icy look and shook her head sharply.  
"Thanks Captain, I'll wait here!" She just answered before stepping in confidently.

And when the door closed behind her, she realized she had just entered Armitage Hux's private apartments.

And that they were as she had imagined them to be.  
Everything was in an almost impeccable order, nothing protruding from the shelves arranged here and there in the main room. The desk, which was in almost the same arrangement as his, near the window, was neatly tidy. She could see that it was used regularly for certain small things, like an open notebook and pens lined up in a row on the side. The chair was also not stored properly, which seemed to prove that he must have left in haste.  
She stepped forward slowly, divided between wanting to find out more and feeling like she was violating someone's privacy. Touching the metal of the furniture with her fingertips, she had the impression of feeling the soothing atmosphere of the place, focusing her gaze on one detail or another. But nothing seemed to betray Hux here. Not a photo, not a detail that could have revealed a little of his private life. Nothing personal in short, except an almost military order.

What did she expect from him after all?

While her gaze seemed lost in space, she gasped when suddenly a red mass appeared in front of her eyes there on the sideboard. She believed at first in a monster, but very quickly realized that it was a cat.  
She laughed at her own surprise, how could she have been afraid of such a beautiful creature? The animal looked at her with a meow, its red coat contrasting with its large yellow eyes.  
"Hi you ..." she whispered. "I'm sorry I bothered you, really… I'm not here for that." "  
She gently extended her hand to the animal, wondering how it would react. It stepped forward slowly and she could hear a slight purr when it, having ended up sniffing her hand, sliding his muzzle against her, rubbing affectionately.  
" Well ! »She exclaimed amused. “You're pretty cool actually! She relaxed slowly, no longer hesitating to scratch the cat behind the ears as it thanked her with purrs. Did this animal really belong to Armitage Hux? She found it hard to imagine him with such an adorable cat.  
"And I imagine you have a name, don't you?" »She said, addressing the cat.

"Her name is Milicent ..."

She jumped! She had been too distracted by the cat's presence to hear the door open, and when General Hux's voice rose behind her, Enael couldn't contain her surprise. There he was, his gaze stern, leaning on the edge of the door with his arms crossed.  
"Do you run into people like that often, Admiral?" He snapped at her.  
"Complain to your dear Captain Opan who saw fit to keep me waiting here!" She hissed annoyed by the welcome.  
He huffed as a simple response and walked over to the desk, motioning for her to follow him.  
“Well, now that you're here, take a seat! He growled. Enael didn't even raise the tone in which he was addressing her, and followed suit. And when she was barely installed, she was surprised to see that the cat had followed her and had hastened to settle on her lap. He was already asking for affection by curling up in a ball and rubbing her muzzle against her hands, under the astonished gaze of his master. The admiral could not contain an amused laugh. Then looked up at the general who seemed to be staring at her.

As she laid her eyes on him, she saw the depth of his intense bluish green gaze. She almost blushed.

" Well ? What's the matter ? Is that my hair ?! You ... You don't like? She had launched very awkwardly. "  
Hux jumped.  
“Uh, no, no, they're great! Hux began, realizing he had looked at her a little too insistently. " In fact no ! I mean ... I don't care! He said then, trying to contain the flush that rose to his cheeks. "I was just watching ... the cat!" "

Enael looked at the animal. This one had indeed decided to settle down peacefully on her, she looked at her with her big yellow eyes and closed her eyelids from time to time.  
"Millicent is an Arkanian cat .... I imagine you don't know that kind of species ..." Hux hissed, gazing down at a notebook on his desk.  
She shook her head, far too busy looking at this very affectionate cat.  
"They say that when they have a master, they are faithful to him all their long existence ..." he began. “Millie never showed up when anyone other than me was here. "  
Spencer looked up at Hux, smiling at him, amused.

"So your master calls you Millie?" Isn't that really adorable ...  
\- Oh don't start your provocations! He said. “What I mean is this is the first time I've seen her act like this with someone else. This cat ... Has always lived in hiding ... in fear. "

Enael had sensed that Hux's voice was fading as the words he spoke.  
* As her master can be ... * she had thought without having the courage to say it.  
* Like me, certainly ... * She thought again, looking at the cat.  
"But I guess you're not here to discuss the cat…" he finally told her before looking up at her big green eyes. She gazed into his for a moment and said nothing, a heavy silence reigned in the room.  
She slipped a hand into her pocket and put the reader and the microchip on the table, Hux giving her a startled look.  
" What is that ? He called out, intrigued.

Enael shrugged, struggling to maintain her gaze, she had looked away and was now observing the desk. How to present things to him? To tell the truth, she hadn't thought about it at all  
“I don't know… I hesitated. She breathed softly. “I think it's better for you to find out for yourself. "  
He gave her a suspicious look before picking up the reader and snapping it on. At that moment, Cardinal's voice echoed through the room again.

She had not listened to the recording since, carried away in the haste of events and when Cardinal's words escaped the reader, she had the impression of hearing them for the first time as they had lost nothing of their significance. violence. As the seconds passed, Spencer felt the atmosphere grow heavy around her, feeling like the ceiling went down one floor every time she took her eyes off him. But that wasn't the most disturbing thing.

She felt like it had the same effect on Hux and even worse.

She had read in his eyes first intrigue and suspicion, then concern when Cardinal's voice was heard in the room. In her green eyes, Enael thought she saw a burst of fear crossing her pupils, but she wasn't sure. Was it possible that, for a brief moment, Hux had believed the red-armored stormtrooper was present with them? And that it created fear in him?  
She'll probably never know.

A flood of emotions mingled in the redhead's eyes, Spencer gazed helplessly at his descent into hell and for a moment regretted having thrown that in his face. She had seen his face close and his face darken every moment of this recording, until that moment when he mentioned his father.

Hux grabbed the recorder and threw it violently against a wall. The object crashed violently against the wall and fell to the ground and Cardinal's voice was cut sharply by the impact.  
Enael jumped when Millicent got scared and took refuge under the cabinet next to the desk. In the half-light, she could still make out her large yellow eyes, the pupils of which had dilated in terror. Glancing at him quickly, she tried to send a reassuring message through his eyes.  
But Hux's fist slammed onto the desk and startled her, cutting her eye contact with the cat.  
"How dare he? He hissed. Enael was distraught. Had she ever seen him angry? Yes, dozens of times she had been able to appreciate his resentment when he was angry. Many times she had seen him strike down his wrath on soldiers who had not worked hard enough in her eyes. She had seen him too, when he was plunged into a great frustration, that of the moment when he realized that his project was not progressing as he wished, that of a mission that passed under his nose.

But it was none of the above that she was seeing at that moment.  
It was anger mixed with a deep sense of injustice.

"Sorry ..." she huffed, as if in a sigh, and without really realizing it, she put her hand on Hux's still clenched fist. She had felt all the tension running through him, for he clenched that fist so hard his fingernails had to tuck into his palm.  
Hux looked up at her and she was surprised to see that, probably, he had been fighting back tears.

And for a moment they were silent, looking at each other. Only the desk separated them, but Enael had leaned slightly towards him and their faces were only a score of inches apart. The situation was tense, but Hux felt the contact she had made with his hand calmed him, in the face of anger and frustration. The mere fact of hearing the admiral's voice and having felt her delicate hand rest on his had allowed him to come out of this whirlwind of emotions in which he was a prisoner. He had looked into her big blue eyes and wondered how she had known how to extinguish the fire of his anger so quickly.

And why he hadn't removed his hand.

“Cardinal and your father had more than a colleague relationship, didn't they? "  
Hux had blinked before looking away to the side of his desk, he seemed to be captivated by emptiness, as if buried in his thoughts. Did he have the choice to tell her everything?  
He felt that things could be worse.  
"My ... father" he had started, uttering his words with such contempt that she shuddered. “Seen him as a son.  
\- His second son?  
"No, his one and only ..." Hux had breathed out his words, closing his eyes to hide his emotions. Enael had felt so much sadness and frustration in his words that she preferred not to say anything, letting him continue his explanation. He had moved away from her to get up and walk towards the window, now with his back to her, he was looking at her in the reflection of the window.  
“He had put so much more hope in himself than in me. He had made him ... His perfect little soldier. The one he saw succeed him at the academy. He continued.  
" And you ? "

He turned slowly and stared into hers.  
"You know what they say about me don't you? Your captain must have told you about it. He called dryly. Enael grimaced, what was Lewis doing in this story? Why was Hux talking about it in his terms?  
"You are not a legitimate child ... A bastard, but you were his son all the same ..."  
Hux shrugged.  
“I wore his name, nothing more, nothing less.  
\- You hated him, didn't you?  
\- How could I not hate him, Spencer? He… ”he wanted to continue but stopped, the admiral was hanging from his lips, waiting for the rest.  
“He took everything from me. He just said, his voice had died away at his words and Spencer knew it meant more than he implied.  
After a brief silence, Hux decided to continue.  
“I don't know what happened to Cardinal. He started. “Without doubt what he has always deserved. But ... As for my father, I did what I had to do, or rather, Phasma took care of it for me.  
\- Is that why she sought my death?  
\- She fears little, but if there is one that terrifies her, it is that one day we discover who she really is. The general concluded as Enael leaned over the back of her chair and closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a deep sigh.

"Am I a monster, Spencer?" "

She turned her azure gaze to General Hux. Did he really just ask her that, or had she daydreamed for a brief moment? But when she saw the pale green eyes of the redhead resting on her insistently, she knew he had indeed asked her that question. So her opinion mattered to him? What to answer him? She knew how much her confession had cost her, but should she be lying?

She finally stood up, approaching him as she began to answer.  
“You know, I always wondered what was the worst in this world. »She finally said. “Was it growing up without parents, or living alongside a parent who isn't really one. She paused briefly as she came up to him.  
"I at least solved that riddle there ..." she huffed.

Hux looked at her and gave her a shy smile. She had answered his question in a very intelligent way and it suited her perfectly. In the end, he hadn't judged her so badly. They were very different, they had not experienced the same things.  
But he was convinced that she understood him better than anyone.  
"And are there any other puzzles you're working on right now?" He said, looking out the window.  
"One, actually…" she called out, almost amused, imitating him. After a short while, she finally decided to ask him the question, which in truth she had come here without thinking.

"The tracer in my suit ... It was you, wasn't it?" "

Hux didn't answer right away, parting his lips in an amused smirk. She knew then that she had found the one who had saved her life during this mission.  
"Do you remember what you told me that day Spencer?" "  
Enael remembered it very well, she realized when she thought about it that she had been very hard on him, even too much for her liking and she blamed herself terribly.  
"Did you ... Really think that of me?" "  
Enael stared at him for a moment unsure of what to say, then looked away to look at the star-studded space. He hadn't forgotten what she had told him and even worse, she felt it touched him more than she imagined. But this question came out of nowhere, she had never asked herself.

Did she really believe Armitage Hux was a monster?

Of course her emotions had managed to distort her judgment, yes, she had felt anger and disappointment and sadness. But at that moment, as she was there, standing next to him, she realized that it had all been a decoy and that in reality, she had never believed it.

"Deep inside me ... never ..." She had breathed, feeling tears rising to her cheeks, she swallowed them almost as quickly, not wanting to betray herself, out of pride.  
At that moment, Hux felt a tremendous weight lift off his shoulders without quite understanding where he had really come from. He felt magnetized again by the azure eyes of the young admiral, and as usual he couldn't get away from them. Both seemed hopelessly drawn to each other, but unable to understand what they were going through.  
"Thank you ..." she huffed. Distraught, she told herself that if she stayed here for a few more minutes she didn't really know how she was going to react, feeling oddly good there, next to him.  
"I'll do my report ASAP and ... it'll be over." »She concludes, on the way out.  
Hux nodded, but as she was about to walk out the door, she felt a hand grab hers without being brutal. His grip was soft, but kept him from leaving without actually drawing her to him.

She turned to Hux, surprised at this reaction, but remaining silent. They were face to face then and his hand was still in hers.  
This moment reminded Hux of the night they had danced together and how that night had ended. Today he was hand in hand with her again and she was looking at him again with that look he was unable to describe. A hypnotizing look that made him relive the same thing inside him as that night.  
He couldn't understand this moment of hesitation, this moment of hollow where he remained there, in front of her, absorbed by her magnificent blue eyes and by the softness of her hand. The general couldn't understand why he wanted to pull her towards him, reduce the space that separated him from her, and feel her against him. It was all he wanted right now.  
"Pryde ... was a very close friend of my father ..." he had breathed softly, lowering his eyes to the ground.  
He wanted to let go of her hand then, but couldn't bring himself to do so.  
“For me, it's important that you know that. "  
Enael stood staring at him for a moment. This statement had been a shock to her, but much less than the minute before it. By then she had felt Armitage Hux's hand grab hers and for a brief moment she hadn't known what he was going to do.  
Or what she was going to do.  
Deep inside, she would have liked them to finish what they had started that night. But she was unable to admit it, let alone express it.

Enael nodded gravely. This statement made perfect sense, by confessing to her this relationship between Pryde and her father, Hux sent her a clear message.  
Pryde sought to harm him out of sheer personal revenge, to avenge a friend he had lost too unfairly for his liking. He had probably used the Cardinal affair to achieve his ends, not really caring about his fate.

And he had certainly used it too, for the same purpose.

She realized then that what she had discovered did not matter, that everything actually played out between Pryde and Hux. Always.

And that she had only been a pawn.  
A pawn who wanted to reverse the trend.

She gently squeezed her grip on Hux's hand, her touch was definitely nothing unpleasant. Fixing her gaze on hers.  
"I'll make good use of it…" she huffed.  
Hux blinked in agreement, their hands parted then, almost reluctantly.  
"Good night, Admiral…" he whispered softly as he let her go.

And upon leaving Armitage Hux's private apartments that evening, Enael knew she had to choose sides, that the choice she made would have significant consequences for the First Order, but also for her.  
Because it was going to upset everything she believed in, her own values.  
But as she still felt the gentle pressure of Hux's hand on hers, everything seemed clearer than ever in her head.

Her choice, she had already made a long time ago.

But today, she was ready to face the consequences.


End file.
